Weight Gain and Haematolgical Profile of Broiler Chicks Fed a Maize-Soyabean Diet Supplemented with Different Levels of Methionine, Sodium Sulphate and Sodium Sulphite
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3923/ijps.2009.489.492Keywords:
Amino acids, haematology, methionine, sodium sulphate, sodium sulphite, weight gainAbstract
An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of substituting synthetic methionine with sodium sulphate and sodium sulphite in maize-soyabean diets fed to broiler chicks on weight and haematological profile. Two hundred and forty (240) unsexed Hubbard day old broiler chicks were fed iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous maize-soyabean diets (3,000 cal/kg and 22% crude protein) for four weeks. There were eight treatment groups, T1-T8, each replicated three times. T1 had no methionine, T2 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 1.5% 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 106.58 g while birds in T8 had the lowest average weekly weight gain (79.94 g). 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 chicks in T7 and T8 which had the lowest weight gains, also did not differ significantly (p>0.05). All haematological parameters evaluated fell within safe precincts as stipulated in literature. Treatment 6 is therefore recommended for broiler starter rations alongside T2 and T5 because they did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from one another.
References
Baker, D.H., 1977. Sulphur in Non Ruminant Nutrition. Des Moineas Press, Rome, pp: 122.
Bateman, A., Z. Liu, M.M. Bryant, G. Wu and D.A.S. Roland, 2005. Explanation on how to interpret properly the bioefficacy of methionine hydroxy analog-free acid relative to dl-methionine estimated by regression models in laying hens. Int. J. Poult. Sci., 4: 280-285.
Bressani, R. and L.G. Elias, 1962. Processed vegetable protein mixtures for human consumption in developing countries. J. Food Sci., 31: 626-631.
Calet, C. and M. Melot, 1961. Comparative efficiency of methionine and the calcium salt hydroxymethyl thio butyric acid MHA for chicks growth. Ann. Zootech., 10: 205-213.
Islam, M.S., N.S. Lucky, M.R. Islam, A. Ahadi, B.R. Das, M.M. Rahman and M.S.I Sidini, 2004. Haematological parameters of Fayoumi, Asil and local chickens rea5ed in sylhet region in Bangladesh. Int. J. Poult. Sci., 3: 144-147.
Jain, N.C., 1993. Essentials of Veterinary Haematology. 4th Edn., Lea and Fabiger, Philadelphia, USA.
Jenssen, W.M.M.A., K. Terpstra, F.F.E. Beeking and A.J.N. Bisalky, 1979. Feeding Values of Poultry. 2nd Edn., Spelderholt Mededeling, New York, pp: 303.
Liu, Z., M.M. Byrant and D.A. Roland, 2004. Bioavalability estimation of DL-methionine hydroxyanalogue relative told-methionine in layers fed milo-bean diets using different regression models. J. Applied Poult. Sci., 3: 697-703.
Mitruka, B.M. and H.M. Rawnsley, 1977. Clinical, Biochemical and Haematological Reference Values in Normal Experimental Animals. Mason Publishing, New York, USA pp:53-54.
Njike, M.C., 1973. Assessment of the protein quality of certain nigerian foods and feedstuffs with particular reference to methionine and cystine availability to chicks. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Osti, N.P., 2008. Economics of broiler meat production with methionine and lysine supplementation with low protein and low energy diets. Proceedings of the 23rd World's Poultry Congress in Brisbane, Queensland Australia, June 30th-July 4, 2008.
Oyewale, J.O., 1987. Haematological and plasma biochemical values of two breeds of domestic fowl in a tropical environment. Anim. Tech., 33: 49-53.
Pond, W.P., D.C. Church and K.R. Pond, 1995. Basic Animal Nutrition and Feeding. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
Reid, B.L., A. Madrid and P.M. Majarino, 1982. Relative biopotency of three methionine sources for laying hens. Poult. Sci., 61: 726-730.
Ross, E., B.L. Damron and R.H. Harmes, 1972. The requirement for inorganic sulphastes in the diets of chicks for optimum growth and feed efficiency. Poult. Sci., 51: 1606-1612.
Simaraks, S., O. Chinrasri and W. Aengwanich, 2004. Hematological, electrolyte and serum biochemical values of the Thai indigenous chickens (Gallus domesticus) in Northeastern, Thailand. Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol., 26: 425-430.
Steel, R.G.D. and J.H. Torrie, 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach. 2nd Edn., McGraw Hill Book Co., New York, USA., ISBN-13: 978-0070609259, Pages: 481.
Uadia, I.O., 1984. Nitrogen digestion in the gut of broilers fed potato-soyabean rations. B.Sc. Thesis, Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2009 Asian Network for Scientific Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.