Abstract: To investigate the effects of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (EUO) on growth performance and meat quality in broilers, two hundred and forty Avian commercial broilers were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 4 replicates, 15 birds per replicate in earlier stage (1-21 days) and 11 birds per replicate in later stage (22-49 days). Birds were fed the same basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5% EUO, respectively for a period of 7 weeks ad libitum. The results on growth performance showed that dietary supplementation with 2.5% EUO increased average daily feed intake by 3.15% (p<0.01) and survival percentage by 9.21% (p<0.05). Compared with the control group, leg muscle percentage in 2.5% EUO added group was increased by 7.67% (p<0.05). The contents of soluble collagen in breast muscle were increased by 13.25% (p<0.1), 24.1% (p<0.01), 18.07% (p<0.05) and total collagen by 3.47% (p>0.05), 17.03% (p<0.05), 45.42% (p<0.01), respectively with the supplementation of different level of EUO. Birds treated with 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5% EUO also resulted in an increase of Fe in breast muscle by 14.93% (p<0.1), 82.55% (p<0.05), 68.48% (p<0.05) and Mn by 50.00% (p<0.05), 63.64% (p<0.01), 72.73% (p<0.01), respectively. In addition, supplementation with EUO in the diet increased contents of serine, glutamic acid and lysine in breast muscle. It was indicated that incorporation of moderate levels of EUO in broiler diets is beneficial to improve growth performance and meat quality.
M.Q. Wang, Y.J. Du , S.S. Ye , W.J. Tao and C. Wang , 2012. Effects of Duzhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.) on Growth Performance and Meat Quality in Broiler Chicks. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11: 1385-1389.