Effects of dietary vitamin C addition on the performance of broilers in a hot, humid environment

Abstract

In an experiment lasting 7 weeks, 288 one-day-old unsexed broiler chicks were used to assess the effect of supplementary vitamin C on the performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicks raised in a hot, humid environment. The birds were randomly alloted in equal numbers to four dietary treatments based on maize and fishmeal to which were added 0, 100, 150 or 200 mg vitamin C per kilogram, respectively. The diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous, containing 12.51 MJ (ME) and 212.4 g crude protein per kg. Each treatment had three replicates. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. Supplementary vitamin C had no significant effect on all the performance and carcass traits studied, including feed intake, growth rate, and feed conversion efficiency. No economic advantage was gained by adding vitamin C to broiler feed.


Ghana Jnl agric. Sci. Vol.31(1) 1998: 113-116