Objective:
The experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative effects of inorganic trace minerals (ITM) and three forms of organic trace minerals (OTM) (propionate, metho-chelated, and proteinate) on growth performance, edible meat yield, immunity, and profitability of commercial broilers.
Materials and methods:
A corn-soya based mash diet comprising four treatments each of 10 replicates were fed to 720 day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks for 35 days (starter diet 0–21 days and grower diet 22–35 days). The diets for comparison were as follows: diet 1: control diet with ITM premix at 1 kg/ton of feed (T
1
); diet 2: control diet supplemented with propionate trace minerals at 600 gm/ton (T
2
); diet 3: control diet supplemented with metho-chelated trace minerals at 500 gm/ton by reducing 225 gm methionine/ton of feed (T
3
); and diet 4: control diet supplemented with proteinate trace minerals at 500 gm/ton of feed (T
4
). Growth performance, carcass yield, and antibody titer (AT) data were recorded. Data were analyzed and interpreted using SAS Computer Package Program version 9.1.
Results:
Feeding propionate and proteinate OTM showed similar performance. Birds fed these two types (propionate and proteinate) or OTM had better performance in comparison with those receiving ITM and metho-chelated one. Proteinate group produced more wing meat and propionate group showed higher breast and drumstick meat yield as compared with those received the metho-chelated trace mineral and ITM. The birds belonging to OTM groups showed significantly higher AT level against infectious bursal disease. Proteinate minerals groups showed higher profitability followed by propionate fed broilers.
Conclusion:
Two forms of OTM, propionate and proteinate improved performance of commercial broilers over those of ITM and metho-chelated one.
Bitterness is one of the five basic tastes, and sensitivity to bitterness is important in that it enables animals to avoid harmful and toxic substances. In humans, taste sensitivity decreases with age, although the extent of loss varies depending on the taste quality. In chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), baby chicks have been found to be more sensitive to salt and sour taste qualities than adults. In this study, therefore, we investigated the growth-associated changes in bitter taste sensitivity in chicks. We examined the behavioral perceptions toward the bitter compounds chloramphenicol and andrographolide in chicks at three different growth stages. Then, we measured the relative expression of the functional bitter taste receptors in the chick palate. In behavioral drinking tests, the 0-1-week-old chicks consumed a significantly lower amount of bitter solutions than water, whereas the 8-9-week-old chicks showed lower avoidance of the bitter solutions than the 0-1-week-old and 4-5-week-old chicks. Realtime PCR assay showed that the 0-1-week-old chicks had significantly higher expression of one of the functional bitter taste receptors in the palate than that in the older chicks. These results suggest that baby chicks are more sensitive to bitterness than older chicks. These findings may be useful in the production of new feedstuff for chicks according to their growth stages.
The experiment was conducted to compare the growth performance among four genotypes of indigenous chicken namely Non-descriptive Native (ND), genetically Improved Native (IN), Hilly (HC) and Naked Neck (NN) of Bangladesh under free-range rearing system. A total of 288 day old chicks (DOC) from four genotypes were divided into four treatments having eight replications of each for a period of 12 weeks under free-range system with supplementation of commercial broiler diet. During first 4 weeks, all chicks were kept together, whereas chicks of ND was brooded in the same room but separated by a partition. At 5 weeks of age chicks were randomly distributed to the selected farmers. Growth parameters were recorded to determine the comparative growth performance among four genotypes of chicken. The highest body weight (1110.76 g/bird) was achieved by HC, followed by IN (900.63 g/bird) and NN (831.13 g/bird) at 12 weeks of age. The lowest body weight (734.13 g/bird) however was found in ND chicken. During the growing period under free range rearing (5-12 weeks), HC group consumed the highest amount of feed (2697.02 g/bird) with an average FCR of 3.06 while the lowest feed consumption (2666.13 g/bird) with the highest FCR of 4.90 was observed in ND. IN consumed (2674.63 g/bird) feed with an average FCR of 3.92 and BLRI improved NN consumed (2668.13 g/bird) feed with an average FCR of 4.19. Live weight gains in all the four genotypes of indigenous chicken were changed almost in a similar pattern. Significant differences were observed in live weight, dressing percentage, breast meat, drumstick, thigh meat among the four genotypes of chicken. The HC was superior to other genotypes of indigenous chicken including ND in terms of growth performance, meat yield characteristics and net returns.
Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2018. 47 (2):76-84
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