Effect of Varying Levels of Methionine on, Growth Response, Tissue Fat and Protein of Broiler Chickens Raised in the Cool Seaceson Under Tropical Environment

Abstract

A 28-day trial was carried out to determine the effect of varying levels of methionine on growth performance, carcass quality, tissue fat and tissue protein of broiler chickens raised in the cool season under the tropical environment. Two hundred and eighty five 5- week old birds were used for the experiment and were grouped into five equal number on the basis of equal weight and randomly assigned to five isocaloric and isonitrogenous diet treatments replicated three times with graded levels of supplemental methionine (0.14, 0.19, 0.24 0.29 and 0.34%) amounting to total dietary methionine levels of 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55 and 0.60%, respectively. Birds fed 0.55% total methionine diet had the highest breast and wing weights, while birds fed 0.50% total methionine diet had the highest thigh weights. Birds fed 0.60% methionine diet had significantly (P<0.05) lower  abdominal and tissue fats. These results showed that increasing levels of methionine up to (0.60 %) improved carcass quality by the reduction of tissue fat and abdominal fat of chickens, and birds fed 0.55% methionine in the diet had the highest dressing percentage and prime cuts.

Keywords: Methionine, broiler, growth, tissue, carcass and tropical.