Protein plays an important role in the formation of a balanced diet. The human population is still confronting with the shortage of protein intake due to high production cost of poultry and other meat sources. Higher price of poultry meat is mainly due to higher costs of feed. The guar meal is the by product, which is obtained after the mechanical separation of endosperm from both hu1ls and germs of guar seed. It has a natural toxic substance trypsin inhibitor and residual guar gum. Despite, these deleterious effects, the guar meal is cheaper and is a good source of essential amino acids.

The experiment was designed to study the effect of commercial enzyme (Natugrain) supplementation on the nutritive value and inclusion rate of guar meal in broiler rations. The experiment was conducted at Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore. 240, day old chicks were randomly divided into 2 main groups. Each main group was further divided into 4-sub groups of 30-chicks (3 replicates of 10-chicks) in each sub group. One main group was fed rations with enzyme supplementation and other without enzyme supplementation. The chicks were reared under standard environmental conditions. Eight isonitrogenous and isocaloric experimental starter rations were formulated and fed to chicks for a period of 4 weeks. Rations A, B, C and D containing 0, 5, 10 and 15% guar meal, respectively supplemented with same level of enzyme (100 gram/ton). Rations F, F, G and H containing 0, 5, 10 and 15% guar meal, respectively without enzyme. Eight isonitrogenous and isocaloric experimental finisher rations A, B, C, D, E, F, G & H were formulated in the same manner as starter rations and fed to chicks from 5-6 weeks. All the birds were weighed at the start of experiment (day old) and at weekly intervals, thereafter. Weekly feed consumption of each replicate was recorded and FCR was calculated.

The average feed consumed by the broiler chicks fed on rations A, B, C, D, F, F, G and H were 3631.2, 3797.16, 3601.0, 3086.56, 3664.33, 3736.2, 3604.93 and 3254.83 grams, respectively. The average weight gain of broiler chicks fed on rations A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H were 1817.77, 1813.6, 1648.77, 1169.0, 1796.1, 1723.9, 1538.44 and 1265.9 grams, respectively. The average feed conversion ratio values for broiler chicks fed on rations A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H were 1.97, 2.0, 2.17, 2.64, 1.99, 2.14, 2.33 and 2.56 per bird, respectively.

The values for dressing percentage in groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H were 67.50%, 64.13%, 64.07%, 61.73%, 66.20%, 63.33%, 63.70% and 61.33%, respectively. Mortality in groups A, D, E, G and H were 1, 4, 1, 1 and 2 birds, respectively. There was no mortality in groups B, C and F.

Data regarding feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and dressing percentage, when subjected to analysis of variance showed that there was non significant difference (P>0.05) among different experimental groups as far as enzyme supplementation was concerned. However, significant (P<0.05) differences were observed among the experimental groups on the basis of different levels of guar meal.

It was observed as the level of guar meal increased in the ration, cost per kg of feed decreased but as the level of guar meal increased, the cost per kg of live weight increased. Profit per Kg of live weight was higher from those groups fed on rations with enzyme supplementation as compared to those groups fed on rations without enzyme supplementation.