Effects of enzyme preparations on microbial diversity in donkey foal fecal
In this paper, we report on the effects of supplementing the basal diet of suckling donkeys with multienzymes on their growth performance; apparent nutrient digestibility; and fecal microbial diversity, VFA, and pH; and blood biochemical indices. This is significant because Suckling during lactation is crucial for donkeys because the foal receives vital nutrients from breast milk. With the growth of the foal and the decrease in the amount of breast milk, early supplementary feeding is particularly crucial for meeting the growth needs of the foal. Moreover, the magnitude of improvement in the aforementioned parameters of suckling donkeys varies depending on the sources of enzymes in the enzyme products. The current study determined the effects of adding Xylanase, beta-Mannanase, beta-Glucanase, Cellulase, Proteases, and Amylase to the diet of 2-month-old suckling donkeys on their growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, fecal VFA and pH, fecal bacterial composition, and blood biochemical indices.