Matrix-Dosed Protease Supplementation Enhances Growth Performance, Nutrient Utilization, and Economic Return in Broiler Chickens

This study evaluated the effects of matrix-dosed protease supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal morphology, serum biochemistry, carcass traits, and economic return in broiler chickens. A total of 240 Cobb 500 chicks were assigned to six dietary treatments (T0–T5) with four replicates of 10 birds each for 33 days. Protease supplementation, particularly with Protease F at 250 g/tonne (T5), significantly increased body weight at day 7 (163.0 ± 1.4 g; p = 0.002) and day 21 (854.0 ± 7.0 g; p = 0.014), and improved feed conversion ratio at day 33 (1.54 ± 0.01; p = 0.002). Birds in the T5 group consistently exhibited the highest serum total protein (p < 0.001 on Day 21; p = 0.002 on Day 33), albumin (p < 0.001 on both days), and creatinine (p < 0.001 on Day 21; p = 0.006 on Day 33), along with reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (p < 0.001 on Day 21; p = 0.002 on Day 33). Intestinal morphology was also enhanced, with villus height increasing to 874.0 ± 1.0 μm at day 21 and 931.0 ± 1.0 μm at day 33, accompanied by greater villus height-to-crypt depth ratios (11.23 ± 0.02 and 12.59 ± 0.01, respectively; p < 0.001). Moreover, apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, metabolizable energy, and amino acids improved in T5 compared with the control and other treatments. Economic analysis showed the highest profit and return on investment (7.01%) in T5, followed by T4 and T2. These findings indicate that matrix-based protease supplementation enhances growth, nutrient absorption, and gut morphology, while delivering substantial economic benefits, making it a cost-effective strategy for improving broiler productivity and profitability in commercial production systems.