Effects of Different Papua New Guinea Sweetpotato Varieties on Performance and Level of Enteric Pathogens in Chickens

Abstract

In the last decade, research has targeted the evaluation of local feed ingredients for use in monogastric diets to alleviate the high cost of production of livestock at smallholder levels in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The PNG smallholder poultry production system involves many families who rear multiple batches of meat birds every year. This study was conducted to evaluate the levels of enteric pathogens in the caeca of broilers fed with sweetpotato diets with varying levels of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). Selection of a sweetpotato variety for use in broiler diets should be based on the total NSP content. In particular, varieties with low soluble NSPs are economical to use as Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AME) values are within the desired range for poultry and there is minimal need to include enzymes to improve NSP digestibility. The use of varieties with a low total NSP is also advantageous as the numbers of Clostridium perfringens was lower in broilers fed with these sweetpotato varieties. The level of Campylobacter and Salmonella levels were high in the ceca of birds fed with the sweetpotato varieties with high total NSP. These levels can be reduced with the inclusion of enzymes. This information will assist in the efficient use of local varieties of sweetpotato in PNG by small holder poultry farmers for sustainable poultry production and the commercial industry.

Effect of Feeding Sweet Potato and/or High-Oleic Peanuts to Laying Hens on Ileal Nutrient Digestibility

“…The sweet potato+high-oleic peanut containing diet had the lowest apparent metabolizable energy indicating that this diet had the least amount of dietary energy available for digestion. Pandi et al 7 reported apparent metabolizable energy values of sweet potato cultivar fed to broilers at 15.39 MJ.kg (3678 cal gG 1 ) which is greater than that of the diet that contained sweet potato by-products used in this feeding trial and might be due to the difference in energy utilization of broilers and layers. To date, no research has shown the effects of feeding diets that are formulated using sweet potatoes or high-oleic peanuts on apparent nitrogen percentages.…”