Effects of Betaine on growth and blood indices changes of broilers under heat stress
2017
عزیز مسگری, زاهد | دانشیار, محسن | آقازاده, علی میرزا
BACGROUNDS: Heat stress causes the lower performance in broiler chickens. OBJECTIVE: This research was conducted to investigate the effect of betaine supplementation in broiler chickens under heat stress condition. METHODS: Two hundred one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replicates per treatment and 10 birds per each replicate. The experimental treatments were the heat stressed birds fed the different levels of 0.0 (without any dietary supplement), 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% betaine. The experimental diets were added to the diets during the finisher period (day 25 to 42 of age) and under heat stress condition (32±1º C from 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM). RESULTS: The results showed that feed consumption was not affected by betaine supplementation. Consumption of 0.2% betaine resulted in a higher weight gain during the whole period as compared to 0.05 betaine and control diet (P<0.05). The consumption of all betaine levels caused the decreased feed conversion ratio during the finisher period (P<0.05) and 0.2% betaine resulted in lowest feed conversion ratio between the experimental treatments. Dietary betaine supplementation had no effect on internal organ weights of heart, liver, abdominal fat, spleen and bursa at day 42 of age (P>0.05). Furthermore, consumption of different betaine levels had no effects on blood indices, the amounts of blood enzymes and antioxidant status at day 42 of age (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Totally, the consumption of 0.2% betaine improves the performance without any effects on blood indices and internal organs under heat stress condition.
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