Oil extraction from the palm kernel produces a large amount of palm kernel meal (PKM), a by-product having considerable potential nutritive value for poultry. Increasing its use and improving its nutritive value in poultry diets is especially important in palm oil-producing countries. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of the inclusion level of PKM in laying hen diets on egg production and egg quality. One hundred eighty 48-wk-old native laying hens were assigned to 180 cages (1 bird per cage) in a curtain-sided house. Diets were assigned at random to 15 cages each. The experimental diets resulted from a factorial combination of 3 levels of PKM (0, 15, and 30%), 2 levels of a fiber-degrading enzyme [0 and 15 units of β-glucanase (major enzyme) activity/kg of diet; Ronozyme VP, DSM Nutritional Products Inc., Basel, Switzerland], and 2 levels of phytase + protease mixture [0 and 2,000 units of phytase (Ronozyme NP) + 12,500 units of protease (Ronozyme ProAct) activity/kg of diet; both products of DSM Nutritional Products Inc.]. Diets were isocaloric (2,758 kcal of ME/kg) and contained 17.51 to 18.39% CP, and were provided ad libitum together with water for the 6-wk trial. Six-week feed intake increased as the PKM level increased (3,573 vs. 3,791 vs. 4,022 g/hen for the hens fed 0, 15, and 30% PKM, respectively; P ≤ 0.008). Levels of PKM did not affect egg production, feed conversion, or egg weight. Egg quality traits (albumen height, Haugh units, eggshell thickness, and egg surface area) of hens fed 15 or 30% PKM were comparable with those fed the 0% PKM (corn and soybean meal) except that yolk color was paler when the PKM diets were fed (8.15 vs. 7.08 vs. 5.61 for the hens fed 0, 15, and 30% PKM, respectively; P ≤ 0.0001). Because PKM inclusion resulted in no deleterious effects on egg production and quality, no effects of enzyme supplementation could be measured. Depending on consumer preference, a carotenoid source may be needed when PKM is included in the diet at levels of 15% or above.

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Herrero et al. (1996) found that NIRS was able to calibrate and cross-validate the static values of gas produced from the incubation of Kikuyu grass using manual in vitro gas production. However, the fermentation kinetic coefficients were not calibrated satisfactorily by NIRS. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of NIRS as a means of predicting fermentation and the France et al. (1993) model parameters obtained from the automated in vitro gas production experiments for a range of concentrate feeds.Thirty-eight milled (1 mm) samples representing three typical concentrate feed types were scanned over the infra-red region covering 1100 to 2300 nm using an NIRS systems 6500 spectrometer. Optical data recorded as log 1/Reflectance were transformed to their standard normal variates and detrended values (SNV-D).

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and the best energy-rich feed that could be combined with LAB on oil palm fronds (OPF) silage. Energy-rich feeds (molasses, rice polish, palm kernel cake (PKC), sludge and rice bran) were used and each of them was combined with LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus fermentum, 1010 CFU/mL). The treatments were : P0 = OPF, P1 = OPF + LAB (5 ml/kg), P2 = OPF + LAB (5 ml/kg) + molasses (3%), P3 = OPF (control) + LAB (5 ml/kg) + rice polish (3%), P4 = OPF + LAB (5 ml/kg) + BIS (3%), P5 = OPF + LAB (5 ml/kg) + sludge (3%), P6 = OPF + LAB (5 ml/kg) + rice bran (3%). Silages were packed in airtight transparent bottle silo (300 g capacity) and stored at room temperature. After 3 weeks, each silo was opened and sampled for physicals, nutrient and fiber analyses. Data were statistically analyzed in completely randomized design, and continued with orthogonal contrast analyses. The addition of LAB significantly (P<0.01) increased crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), decreased hemicellulose but no significant effect on nitrogen-free extract (NFE) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content of OPF silages. The addition of energy-rich feeds significantly (P<0.01) increased CF and CP, decreased NFE, NDF and hemicellulose, but no significant effects on ADF of OPF silage. The most suitable energy-rich feeds combining with LAB in producing OPF silage was rice bran.