Effect of functional feed ingredients on the quantity and quality of chicken meat and egg

Both chicken meat and egg is excellent foodstuff due to their compositions of amino acids, monoand polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins. There is evidence that functional feed ingredients can improve the meat yield and egg quality (Patten and Waldroup, 1988; Izat et al., 1991; Mahfudz et al., 1996). In this study, we examine the effect of feed ingredients such as ethanolic extract of shochu distillery by-product (SDBP), organic acids, potassium salt of formic acid (K-diformate) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) on poultry production. Dietary ethanolic extract of SDBP significantly increased food intake, body weight and breast muscle weight. Addition of mixture of formic and propionic acid to a feed significantly decreased abdominal fat weight. Addition of K-diformate to a feed significantly increased the weights of breast muscle and legs. CoQ10 did not affect egg production rate, the weights of egg and egg yolk, and feed efficiency, but significantly increased CoQ10 content in the egg yolk. These findings suggest that ethanolic extract of SDBP, mixture of formic and propionic acids, K-diformate and CoQ10 can be promising candidates for feed additives to improve chicken meat yield and egg quality.