Influence of dietary crude protein and electrolyte balance on nitrogen budget and gas emissions in broilers
2025
de Rauglaudre, Théophane | Méda, Bertrand | Fontaine, Simon | Lambert, William | Simongiovanni, Aude | Larios, Dalila | Godbout, Stéphane | Fournel, Sébastien | Létourneau Montminy, Marie-Pierre | Université Laval [Québec] (ULaval) | Biologie des Oiseaux et Aviculture [Nouzilly] (BOA - UMR 0083) ; Université de Tours (UT)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Eurolysine | Institut de Recherche et de Développement en Agroenvironnement (IRDA)
International audience
显示更多 [+] 显示较少 [-]英语. Nitrogen (N) use efficiency is a major issue in animal production, and improving it can reduce the environmental impact associated with N losses. Here, we studied the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) and dietary electrolyte balance (DEB) on N balance, litter composition and gas emissions. The experiment was conducted in two consecutive replicates of 37 d and 35 d with 432 and 456 one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks. Broilers were randomly distributed in 12 environmentally controlled chambers designed to measure ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. After a common starter diet (0 d–9 d), four experimental treatments were tested during growing (10 d–20 d) and finishing (21 d to the end of the rearing period) periods: control (CT); low CP and reduced DEB (LCP; −16 and −30 g CP kg−1; −75 and −78 mEq kg−1 in growing and finishing periods); and two low-CP treatments with either potassium (K) carbonate (LCP + K) or sodium (Na) bicarbonate (LCP + Na) supplementation to bring the DEB back to the control level. The results show that the N2O emissions per broiler were not impacted by dietary treatment, whereas NH3 volatilisation was reduced in the LCP, LCP + K, and LCP + Na treatments compared with CT (−72%, −47%, and −57%, respectively; P < 0.001). The reduction in NH3 emissions is due to a reduction in N excretion and volatilisation rate. In fact, the reduction in N excretion accounts for between 35% and 52% of the reduction in NH3 emissions, depending on the DEB level. Reducing dietary CP and DEB could be used to decrease NH3 volatilisation in broiler production.
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