Page 1 of 16
European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 11, No. 2
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/aivp.112.13001.
Hossain, M. D., Haque, A., Hoque, S. A. M., Ahmed, S., Islam, M. R., Rahman, M. M., Islam, S., & Md. Selim, A. S. (2023). Assessment
of the Nutritional Quality and Fungal Contamination of Commercial Poultry Feed and Raw Materials Available in Gazipur and
Mymensingh District of Bangladesh. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(2). 260-275.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Assessment of the Nutritional Quality and Fungal
Contamination of Commercial Poultry Feed and Raw Materials
Available in Gazipur and Mymensingh District of Bangladesh
Md. Delowar Hossain
Department of Animal Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706,
Bangladesh
Arshadul Haque
Department of Animal Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706,
Bangladesh
S. A. Masudul Hoque
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706,
Bangladesh
Shabbir Ahmed
Department of Dairy and Poultry Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science,
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh
Md. Rashidul Islam
Department of Animal Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706,
Bangladesh
Md. Morshedur Rahman
Department of Dairy and Poultry Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science,
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh
Shilpi Islam
Department of Animal Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706,
Bangladesh
Abu Sadeque Md. Selim
Department of Animal Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706,
Bangladesh
Page 2 of 16
261
Hossain, M. D., Haque, A., Hoque, S. A. M., Ahmed, S., Islam, M. R., Rahman, M. M., Islam, S., & Md. Selim, A. S. (2023). Assessment of the Nutritional
Quality and Fungal Contamination of Commercial Poultry Feed and Raw Materials Available in Gazipur and Mymensingh District of Bangladesh.
European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(2). 260-275.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.112.13001
Abstract
The study was conducted to evaluate the nutrient content and fungal contamination
of commercial poultry feeds and raw materials available in Gazipur and
Mymensingh districts of Bangladesh. A total of 67 commercial poultry feed (broiler
and layer) and raw materials were collected from different poultry farms, dealers
and shops. They feed samples and raw materials were then analyzed in terms of DM
(Dry matter), CP (crude protein), EE (ether extract), ash and calcium concentration.
Crude protein is the main constituent and is found in the range of 20-22.5% and
15.3-19.5% for broiler and layer feeds, respectively. Moisture content ranged
between 9.7-11.2% in both broiler and layer feed indicating good storage condition.
Other nutrients such as crude fat and crude fiber content in broiler and layer feed
were 3.6-6.9% and 3.0-5.8%, respectively. Layer feed contains a higher amount of
calcium (3.1-4.6%) and total ash (8.3-13.3%) than the broiler feed. The moisture
percentage of raw materials was below the recommended value. About 40-60%
crude protein was found in protein-rich feed ingredients and other nutrients such
as crude fat (17.2-19.1%) and crude fiber (9.9-13.1%) were higher in energy-rich
ingredients. On the other hand, fungal contamination in broiler and layer feed, and
raw materials was found in about 28.5%, 30.0% and 46.0%, respectively. The
proximate composition and fungal contamination of poultry feed and raw materials
were varied due to environment, processing method, storage condition and
adulteration, etc. In conclusion, findings of the nutrient content and fungal
contamination of commercial poultry feed and raw materials will help the feed mill
owners and commercial poultry farmers to prepare quality feed and to formulate
quality poultry ration.
Keywords: Broiler feed, Layer feed, Raw materials, Nutrient content, Fungal
contamination.
INTRODUCTION
The poultry sub-sector plays an important role in fostering agricultural growth, poverty
alleviation and reducing malnutrition for the people of Bangladesh [1-6]. The development of
this sector depends primarily on poultry feed. In Bangladesh, the annual commercial feed
demand is 60 lac MT and the production capacity of about 198 feed mills in Bangladesh is
around 57,60,000 MT, including 8 lac MT aqua feed. In addition to 60 lac MT poultry and aqua
feeds, around 7 lac MT hand-mixed feed is used for cattle [7]. Feed is the key input having a
strong influence on the productivity of poultry. Feed signifies most of the costs (60 and 70%)
accounted for poultry production [8]. Therefore, feed-associated improvement in the
performance of commercial broilers and layers can inevitably have a substantial effect on
profitability. Poultry feeds are composed primarily of a mixture of several ingredients such as
cereal grains, soybean meal, animal by-product meals, fats, and vitamin and mineral premixes.
The local production of the raw materials necessary to produce the feed isstill inadequate.
About 80% of the feedstuffs used in poultry rations are imported from overseas. One of the
most vital raw materials necessary to produce the poultry feed is maize. Only 40% of the maize
is produced locally and the rest (60%) is imported primarily from India, Russia and China, etc.
Most poultry feed ingredients such as full-fat soybean, soybean meal, poultry by-product meal,
rapeseed, limestone, di-calcium phosphate (DCP), distiller’s dry grain soluble (DDGs), de- oiled rice bran (DORB), fish meal, wheat and protein concentrate are imported products and
therefore, sensitive to the movement in global market prices [9].
Page 3 of 16
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom 262
European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 11, Issue 2, April-2023
Additionally, most of the feed additives, including toxin binder, mold inhibitor, enzymes,
synthetic amino acids and vitamins, vitamin-mineral premixes, trace minerals, organic acids,
probiotics, (use of antibiotics in poultry feed is strictly prohibited according to Feed Act 2010),
etc. are used by the commercial feed industry. Most of these additives are imported by different
Animal Health companies and feed millers from abroad [10]; thereby, the feed production cost
using grains and additives are always high and are increasing over time [11]. As a result, the
majority of the feed millers minimize their feed production cost either by replacing with low- grade rice polish or other raw materials in the manufactured feeds or by adulterating with
inferior quality ingredients or by incorporating a lower proportion of valuable items like meat
and bone meal, vitamin-mineral premix, soybean meal, maize, etc. Moreover, not only the poor- quality control system of the feed [12], but also the improper and inaccurate labeling is
observed to be practiced by the manufacturers and sellers [13]. Therefore, the quality of feed
ingredients, as well as the readymade poultry feeds available in the market, has become
questionable.
The lack of sufficient quality poultry feed is one of the major problems in the development of
the poultry sub-sector in Bangladesh [5]. Balanced with superior quality feed is essential for a
successful poultry farm operation. Commercial poultry feed quality mainly depends on two
factors: extrinsic factor (manufacturing procedure) and intrinsic factor (the ratio and quality of
raw materials used). The quality of commercial poultry feed is necessary for the maintenance
of physiological functions and animal immune systems against diseases and parasites.
However, the seasonal accessibility and variation of local feed ingredients, as well as the
environmental pollution around the feed industry, make the feed quality in terms of both
nutritional value and fungal contamination debatable. Although the feed quality has been
specified on the basis of the nutritional value of every individual feed ingredient [14], the
farmers do not have access to adequate facilities to analyze and monitor the quality of
commercial feeds. Moreover, due to the improper execution of the feed act, and lack of
Government control and analytical services, it is challenging to make particular whether the
processed feed marketed in Bangladesh is hygienically safe for birds. Therefore, it is necessary
to monitor whether the nutrients level and contaminations in the available ingredients and
prepared feeds differ from what is actually required. However, no systematic work has been
carried out to contribute a clear idea about the proximate components and fungal
contamination in the raw materials, as well as the commercial ready feeds available in the local
market so far.
Since Gazipur and Mymensingh is known as the poultry zone of Bangladesh and most of the
feed companies have their feed mill in these areas, the present study was carried out to
determine the nutritional constituents using proximate analysis and fungal contamination in
commercial poultry feeds and raw materials available in Gazipur and Mymensingh district.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental Work Plan
Commercial feed and feed ingredient samples were collected from different poultry farms,
dealers and shops in Maymensingh and Gazipur districts. Proximate analysis and fungal
contamination of feed samples and feed ingredients were performed in the Animal Science and