METABOLISM AND NUTRITION Effect of Wheat Enzyme Preparation on the Performance Characteristics of Tom Turkeys Fed Wheat-Based Rations1

charides (NSP). The NSP complex forms a viscous mass when fully hydrated, which impedes the absorption of nutrients from chyme and causes reduced growth perfor-mance and osmotic diarrhea and associated wet litter. These adverse effects can be alleviated by appropriate enzyme supplementation. The objective of this experi-ment was to evaluate the efficacy of endoxylanase and β-glucanase enzyme mixtures supplemented to wheat-based diets on growth performance characteristics of tur-keys. Seven-day-old Large White male turkeys were ran-domly assigned to 40 litter floor pens of 12 poults each as a completely randomized block design arrangement of four experimental treatments and were raised to 140 d. The dietary treatment consisted of a control treatment (no supplemental enzyme) and three dietary enzyme (Key words: wheat, enzyme, turkey, growth performance