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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Zinc requirement of broiler chicks

(Thailand), Master of Science (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Thesis Abstract:

 

Two experiments were conducted; the first to study the zinc requirement of broilers under Philippines conditions and the second, to determine the effect of local feedstuffs ( rice bran and soybean oil meal) on dietary zinc.

In the first experiment, 40 birds were given five dietary treatments containing varying zinc level (0, 20, 40 and 89 ppm) and a control or natural diet, from the 2nd to the 10th week.

Result showed that the birds fed on diets with added zinc had higher body weight gain than those in the control although difference in body weights among  the broilers under varying dietary treatment were not significant. Birds given the basal diet plus 80 ppm zinc had the highest feed conversion efficiency.

Hematocrit value (pvc) and in vitro uptake of  65Zn by red block cells were not afflected by the dietary zinc levels. However, prolonging incubation time increased the  in vitro uptake of 65Zn by red blood cells.

Zinc content of the liver, muscle breast and feathers were significantly different, but those of blood and bone were not affected by dietary zinc levels.

In the second experimental, 405 birds were subjected to 15 distary treatments using  five different basal rations each with three levels of added zinc (0,40 and 80 ppm),

No statistical differences were found IN BODY WEIGHTS, FEED CONSUMPTIONS, FEED CONVERSATION efficiencies and hematocrit values. The birds fed rice bran-soybean oil meal ration had the highest body weight and feed conversion. Zinc added to the basal ration affected alkaline phosphatase activity in tabia bone but not in liver. Birds given rations within 40 and 80 ppm m zinc showed higher enzyme activity in tabia than those ration without zinc. Alkaline phosphatase  activity was lowest in birds fed rice bran basal ration, including that zinc had no effect on the zinc and irts of both the liver and tabia.