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Weight Gain Of Broiler Chicks Fed A Maize-Soya bean Diet Supplemented With Different Levels Of Methionine, Sodium Sulphate And Sodium Sulphite
Abstract
An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of substituting synthetic methionine with sodium sulphate and sodium sulphite in a maize-soyabean diet fed to broiler chicks.
Two hundred and forty (240) unsexed Hubbard day old broiler chicks were fed iso-caloric and iso-trogenous maize-soyabean diets(3,000kcal/kg and 22% crude protein) for four weeks.
There were eight treatment groups, T1-T8, each replicated three times. T1 had no methionine,T2(the control treatment)had 3% methionine,T3 had 3% sodium sulphate,T4 had 3% sodium sulphite,T5 had 1.5% methionine and 1.5% sodium sulphate,T6 had 1.5% methionine and 1% sodium sulphate,T7 had 1.5% methionine and 1.5% sodium sulphite while T8 had 1.5% methionine and 1% sodium sulphite.
Chicks in T6 had the highest average weekly weight gain of 106.58g while birds in T8 had the lowest average weekly weight gain(79.94g).The average weekly weight gain of birds in T1, T2 and T5 did not differ significantly(P>0.05) from one another. Likewise, the average weekly weight gain of birds in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from one another. The average weekly weight gain of birds in T2, T5 and T6 also did not differ significantly (P.>0.05).The average weekly weight gain of chicks in T7 and T8 which had the lowest weight gains, also did not differ significantly (P>0.05).
Treatment 6 is therefore recommended for broiler starter rations alongside T2 T5 because they did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from one another.
Key words: methionine, sodium sulphate, sodium sulphite, and amino acids
Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol.2(1) 2004: 84-88
Two hundred and forty (240) unsexed Hubbard day old broiler chicks were fed iso-caloric and iso-trogenous maize-soyabean diets(3,000kcal/kg and 22% crude protein) for four weeks.
There were eight treatment groups, T1-T8, each replicated three times. T1 had no methionine,T2(the control treatment)had 3% methionine,T3 had 3% sodium sulphate,T4 had 3% sodium sulphite,T5 had 1.5% methionine and 1.5% sodium sulphate,T6 had 1.5% methionine and 1% sodium sulphate,T7 had 1.5% methionine and 1.5% sodium sulphite while T8 had 1.5% methionine and 1% sodium sulphite.
Chicks in T6 had the highest average weekly weight gain of 106.58g while birds in T8 had the lowest average weekly weight gain(79.94g).The average weekly weight gain of birds in T1, T2 and T5 did not differ significantly(P>0.05) from one another. Likewise, the average weekly weight gain of birds in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from one another. The average weekly weight gain of birds in T2, T5 and T6 also did not differ significantly (P.>0.05).The average weekly weight gain of chicks in T7 and T8 which had the lowest weight gains, also did not differ significantly (P>0.05).
Treatment 6 is therefore recommended for broiler starter rations alongside T2 T5 because they did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from one another.
Key words: methionine, sodium sulphate, sodium sulphite, and amino acids
Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol.2(1) 2004: 84-88
