Authors : E. Opoola, S.O. Ogundipe, G.S. Bawa, P.A. Onimisi and W. Buba
Abstract: A study was conducted in a completely randomized design to evaluate the effect of diets formulated on the basis of four critical essential amino acids (lysine, methionine, tryptophan and threonine) on the crude protein requirement of broiler finisher chickens (28-56 days) reared under tropical environment. One hundred and eighty chickens were used in this experiment. There were four experimental diets each with three replicates (15 birds per replicate). The experimental diets were formulated in a gradual crude protein increase from 18-21 by 1% interval. Diet 1-4 contained 18-21% dietary crude protein respectively. All the diets were formulated to have an additional 10% for the four critical essential amino acids. The performance of chickens fed 19% CP was similar to chickens fed 20 and 21% CP diets in terms of final weight, weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Feeding 18% CP with essential amino acids diet resulted in significantly (p<0.05) lower final weight, weight gain, average daily weight gain and poor FCR than those fed diets higher crude protein diets. Generally, it was observed that chickens fed 19, 20 and 21% CP supplemented with balanced essential amino acids were statistically similar in terms of the carcass weight, dressing percentage, thighs, drumsticks, heart, lung and back weights compared to the chickens fed 18% CP supplemented with balanced essential amino acids. It can be concluded that crude protein requirement of broiler finisher chickens (28-56 days) can be reduced to 19% with essential amino acids supplementation without having any adverse effect on growth, carcass quality and haematological parameters of broiler finisher chickens reared under the tropical environment.
E. Opoola, S.O. Ogundipe, G.S. Bawa, P.A. Onimisi and W. Buba, 2020. Effect of Diets Formulated on the Basis of Four Critical Essential Amino Acids on Crude Protein Requirement, Carcass Quality and Haematological Parameters of Broiler Finisher Chickens Reared under Tropical Environment. Research Journal of Poultry Sciences, 13: 1-6.