Majid Alahyari Shahrasb; Hossein Moravvej; Mahmoud Shivazad
Volume 13, Issue 2 , March 2012, , Pages 39-48
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of reduction or removal of dietary vitamin premix during finisher period (29-42 days of ages) on performance and immunocompetence of broiler chicks fed wheat and barley based diet. A total of 288 male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to four ...
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This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of reduction or removal of dietary vitamin premix during finisher period (29-42 days of ages) on performance and immunocompetence of broiler chicks fed wheat and barley based diet. A total of 288 male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to four treatment groups, with four replicates per treatment group and 18 birds per replicate pen at 29 day of age. The dietary treatments were: T1) the basal diet with no vitamin premix, T2) the basal diet 33.33 percent vitamin premix, T3) the basal diet 66.66 percent vitamin premix and T4) the basal diet 100 percent vitamin premix. Feed intake and weight gain were measured at 35 and 42 days of ages and feed conversion ratio was calculated. At 35 and 42 days of age, after slaughtered and determine carcass weight and the organs bursa of fabricius and spleen weights and immunocompetence was evaluated at 42 day of age, based on SRBC, IgG and IgM titers. Results showed that different levels of vitamin premix did not impair performance and immunocompetence response during the final period of broilers (29-42d). In conclusion, it is possible to remove vitamin premix from finisher diets.