EFFECT OF DIFFERENT FAT SOURCES AND ENERGY LEVELS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY AND MEAT QUALITY IN BROILER CHICKS - M. Shoaib; S. A. Bhatti; H. Nawaz; M. Saif-ur-Rehman (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2021)
This experiment was conducted to evaluate different oil sources and energy density in broiler. Two vegetable oil sources (canola and palm oil), two animal oil sources (fish oil and refined poultry oil) and two levels of energy were: recommended energy (RE); 3000 and 3200 kcal/kg according to manual of Ross 308 and low energy (LE); 2850 and 3050 kcal/kg used in starter and finisher phases, respectively. Four hundred and sixteen (416) day-old broiler birds were distributed in eight treatments (four replicates containing 13 birds in each) in 2 x 4 factorial arrangement. Feed intake, body weight and mortality were recorded. At the end of experiment, two birds from each replicate were slaughtered for carcass characteristics and meat quality parameters. Nutrient digestibility was determined using Celite® as marker. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using analysis of variance technique by completely randomized design under factorial arrangement using Minitab 17 and treatment means were compared using Tukey’s Test. Results revealed that weight gain, protein efficiency ratio (PER), European production efficiency factor (EPEF), Feed efficiency (FE) and FCR were improved (P ≤ 0.05) in birds given recommended energy diet than those fed low energy diet. Feed intake was lower (P ≤ 0.05), whereas weight gain, PER, EPEF, FE and FCR were improved in birds given canola and poultry oil than those received fish and palm oil. Dressing percentage was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in birds fed RE and poultry oil and it was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in birds fed LE and fish oil. Water holding capacity of broiler breast meat was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in birds fed RE diet. Different energy levels had no effect (P > 0.05) on dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE) and crude protein (CP) digestibility (%) at 21st day. Birds fed diet having poultry and canola oil had greater (P ≤ 0.05) DM, CP and EE digestibility on 35th day than those fed diet having palm and fish oil. Production cost per kg live weight was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in birds receiving recommended energy and poultry oil based diets. In conclusion, refined poultry oil in recommended energy had improved growth performance, meat quality and economics efficiency in broilers.
Keywords: journal article; energy density; oil sources; growth performance; meat quality; nutrient digestibility; economics efficiency