Trends

Changes and challenges in Brazilian broiler nutrition in the last five years

To read more content about aviNews International December 2022

Bernardo Rocha Franco Nogueira

Dr. Edgar O. Oviedo-Rondon

Dr. Edgar O. Oviedo-Rondon

José Guilherme Morschel Barbosa

This article will present data analytics results looking at total feed ingredient use, diet nutritional composition, and average annual performance from Brazilian broiler companies participating in Agri Stats from 2017 to 2021.

Brazil is the major broiler meat exporter and the second producer in the world. Industrial organization, marketing, personnel, weather, and decisions about nutrition are pivotal for the current success and faster growth of Brazilian poultry production compared to other countries.

Present grain market conditions are challenging worldwide. Understanding how feedstuffs have been used, observing the variability in dietary energy and nutritional levels in the whole Brazilian broiler industry, and connecting this information with the live performance results can aid in visualizing the nutritional decisions made to face these economic challenges and the efficacy of their implementation.

In the last five years, the cost of live chicken production increased by approximately 135%, mainly due to the higher price of grains.

  • Feeding broilers represent about 70% of the total production cost in Brazil;
  • however, little can be done about grain prices at the time of negotiations, and
  • it is necessary to keep the focus on operational efficiency to control expenses through zootechnical and nutritional efficiency.

This article will present data analytics results looking at total feed ingredient use, diet nutritional composition, and average annual performance from Brazilian broiler companies participating in Agri Stats from 2017 to 2021.

The data indicated that increasing dietary energy proved an effective strategy to reduce feed intake and improve feed conversion. Brazilian broiler companies maintained Metabolizable Energy at around 3,140 kcal/kg averaging all diets used in a productive cycle (Figure 1).

Changes and challenges in Brazilian broilers fig 1

At the same time, there was a 160% spike in the utilization of full-fat soybean and a 44% reduction in the consumption of soybean oil from 2017 to 2021.

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The tight supply of the oilseed in the USA and the delay in the harvest in Brazil caused this market price.

Soybean prices have risen over the years, reaching 2022 with a record value of R$200.00 per bag (60/kg) or R$3,333 per metric ton, which is approximately US$632. Consequently, the tendency in the industry was to decrease the consumption of soybeans and their co-products in broiler chicken feed since 2021.

In the feed industry worldwide, there is a trend to reduce crude protein in broiler diets to mitigate the economic and environmental impacts of amino acid excess.

Thus, it was observed that the Brazilian broiler industry brought down the average crude protein levels in the diets by up to 3% (Figure 2).

Changes and challenges in Brazilian broilers fig 2

Figure 2. Average crude protein level and inclusion of crystalline amino acids in broiler chicken diets in Brazil.

However, since current broiler genetics demand higher amino acid levels due to their better protein deposition rate, the inclusion of crystalline amino acids in broiler diets slightly increased in the Brazilian industry.

Even with the bigger US dollar to Brazilian real exchange rate




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