Evaluation of Commercial Amino Acids Minerals Vitamin Supplements in Broilers Fed Maize-Soybean Based Diets
Date
2012-01-23
Authors
Ngosa, Mathews
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Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the efficacy of different nutritional supplements on productive performance of broilers. Parameters considered included growth rate, feed consumption, feed efficiency, mortality and the economic feasibility of using the commercial supplements. Supplements tested included Chick-A-min, Vita Flash Amino, Vitamino Trace Oral and Amino Vitasol (CM, VFA, VTO and AV) in maize-soybean diets under production. A deficient diet was employed in experiment 1 to determine the efficacy of the supplements in sustaining good performance. In both experiments, the treatment diets consisted of a Control and Diets supplemented with CM, VFA, VTO and AV.
Birds fed commercial supplements in the deficient diet had higher live weights, lower mortality, higher carcass and organ weights (expressed as % of live weight), high feed consumption and FCR (P≤0.05) compared with the control. Supplementation of a basal nutrient low diet was beneficial as it improved the overall performance of broilers and their livability.
On a standard diet, there were no significant differences in mortality among the supplements and the control. No significant differences in intake were observed among the supplements at 28 days of age, but supplements differed significantly from the control (P≤0.05). CM and AV showed better support for good growth and health than other supplements at 42days of age. CM and AV had higher final weights for organs and carcass weights and were significantly different in terms of cost effectiveness with VFA, VTO and the control (P≤0.05).
The better performance of birds and net returns on CM and AV reveals the important influence of composition and quality of nutritional supplements on broiler performance and profitability which parameters are essential to small scale broiler production.
The results of this study revealed that supplements of amino acids, minerals and vitamins had a positive effect on the live weight and feed ultilisation efficiency in comparison to standard diets therefore the use of quality commercial amino acid-mineral-vitamin supplements on maize soybean diets should be encouraged to become a phenomenon for maintenance of normal growth and health in broiler chickens and ultimately improved profitability of the broiler business.
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Amino Acid Mineral Vitamin--Supplements , Maize-Soyabean Diets---Broilers