In this study, we examined the effects of formic acid administration to the drinking water on performance, intestinal microflora and carcass contamination in male broilers. A total of 312 day-old male broiler chicks were allocated to two groups with three replicates. The first group (control) received normal drinking water (pH 7.4) during the experiment. The second group consumed acidified drinking water (pH 4.5) after 5 d of age. At 43 d of age, twelve birds were randomly selected from the control group to determine the effect of acidified drinking water on carcass contamination. These birds were only given normal or acidified (pH 3) drinking water for 8 h prior to slaughter. The reduction of water pH from 7.4 to 4.5 significantly decreased body weights of male broilers at 21 and 42 d of age. However, no differences were observed between male broilers given normal and acidified drinking water in terms of feed intake, feed conversion ratio and mortality. The pH value of the gizzard contents was not significantly affected by acid water treatment. There were no significant differences in the intestinal population of E. coli, total organism and Salmonella between the groups. The total organism and E. coli counts of the carcass slightly decreased in the acidified group. No Salmonella was identified in carcass samples of any of the treatment groups. The results showed that drinking water acidification did not provide beneficial effects on performance, intestinal microflora and carcass contamination in male broilers.

1. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of level of inclusion of poultry by-product and enzyme-prebiotic supplementation on grower diet digestibility and the performance of broilers. 2. Six grower diets were formulated to provide a similar nutrient profile with the exception of using three graded levels of poultry by-product, namely 0, 25, 40 g/kg of the diet with and without supplementation of enzyme preparation at the rate of 1 kg per tonne of feed and prebiotic preparation at the rate of 2 kg per tonne of feed. The experimental diets were used from 3 to 6 weeks of age. 3. Body weights, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency were not affected by poultry by-product; however, enzyme-prebiotic had a significant positive effect on feed conversion efficiency at 0 to 6 weeks in experiment 1. 4. Crude protein digestibility was decreased by feeding the diet containing poultry by-product while ether extract digestibility was increased by poultry by-product at the rate of 25 g per kg of feed only. Dry matter retention, crude fibre digestibility and organic matter retention were not affected by poultry by-product. Dry matter and organic matter retentions, crude protein, ether extract and crude fibre digestibilities were not affected by enzyme-prebiotic. 5. Protein efficiency ratio (PER) values were increased by poultry by-product at the rate of 40 g per kg of feed and addition of enzyme-prebiotic.

The results showed that a milder oxidative stress occurred by supplementation of moderately oxidised oil to the diet of broilers and vitamin E supplementation had been helpful in alleviating lipid peroxidation.

1. Heterozygous naked neck (Na/na+) birds and their normally feathered counterparts (na+/na+) were fed from 0 to 7 weeks on 3 diets differing in methionine concentrations. From 0 to 3 and 3 to 7 weeks, respectively, the concentrations were: low containing 4.3 and 3.3 g/kg; optimum containing 5.0 and 3.8 g/kg and; high with 5.7 and 4.4 g/kg under spring (optimum ambient temperature) and summer conditions (high ambient temperature). Performance, carcase characteristics and breast meat chemical composition were determined. 2. Summer rearing resulted in a decrease in body weight, body weight gain, food consumption, and yields of carcase and breast. The summer temperature effect was more pronounced in males. Under summer temperatures, the protein content of the breast decreased while the fat content increased compared to birds reared in spring. 3. By 7 weeks of age, both genotypes reached similar body weights in the spring experiment while, in summer Na/na+ birds were 3.3% heavier and gained more in the period from 3 to 7 weeks than na+/na+ birds. Carcase and breast yields of Na/na+ birds were greater than in na+/na+ birds. 3. Second order polynomial coefficients of the dietary methionine effect were found to be significant for body weight at 3 and 7 weeks. Daily body weight gain between 3 and 7 weeks was linearly affected by the dietary methionine concentration. There was no interaction between genotype and methionine. 4. Methionine had no significant effect on carcase yield. Second order polynomial coefficients of the dietary methionine effect were found to be significant for breast yield while the methionine effect on abdominal fat was linear. Na/na+ females fed on the low methionine diet had lower protein content than the Na/na+ males. 5. It is concluded that the methionine requirement of Na/na+ birds did not differ from that of their normally feathered counterparts under either spring or summer ambient temperature conditions.