Effect of dietary copper and probiotic supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary copper and probiotic supplementation on growth performance and carcass  characteristics of broiler Chickens. A total of 180-day old marshal broiler chicks of mixed sex were randomly allotted to six treatment groups of 30 birds each. The Treatments were divided into three replicates of ten birds each; starter and finisher diets were formulated and fed for a period of  fifty-six days. The dietary treatments were subjected to completely randomized design experimental layout which was made up of probiotic (0 and 500ppm) and copper (0, 125 and 250mg).The chicks were fed the broiler starter diet for the first 28 days and broiler finisher for the last 28 days. Treatment effect on broiler body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were determined on a weekly basis. Data obtained were analyzed  using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and, Duncan's Multiple Range Test was used to separate significant means. Dietary supplementation of copper and probiotic had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on final weight (FW), daily weight gain (DWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) at the starter phase of the experiment. However, at finisher phase, inclusion of probiotic resulted in higher significant (P < 0.05) values for FW  (2214.12g/b) DWG (60.22g/b/d), FI (159.02g/b/d), and FCR (2.64). The carcass yields of the broilers were significantly (P< 0.05) influenced by copper and probiotic supplementations. However, lower value (1.07%) was obtained for abdominal fat in broilers fed 250mg Cu/kg supplemented diet. The study concluded that supplementation of copper and probiotics resulted in improved growth performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens.

Keywords: Dietary Copper; probiotic supplementation; broiler chicks.