Comparative Effect of Different Organic Acids (Benzoic, Acetic and Formic) on Growth Performance, Immune Response and Carcass Traits of Broilers

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of benzoic, acetic and formic acid supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broilers. One hundred fifty, a day-old broiler chicks were procured from a local commercial hatchery and randomly divided into four treatment groups. Each group having thirty chicks was further sub divided into three replicates, ten chicks each. Group A, B, C were supplemented with 0.5% benzoic, acetic and formic acid, respectively, while group D was control. Data on growth performance in terms of body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio was noted on weekly basis. Blood sample were collected (2 birds/replicate) at 28 and 35 day of experiment to check the antibody titer against Newcastle disease and Infectious Bursal disease, respectively. Comparison by LSD test among different treatments showed that maximum weight gain was found in treatment C (formic acid) and minimum in D (control group). Significantly best feed conversion ratio was found in treatment C (formic acid) and poorer was found in treatment D (control group). The maximum significant value of IBD antibody titer (96.00GMT) was found in treatment C (formic acid) and minimum (41.67GMT) in treatment A (benzoic acid). However, the best result against ND antibody titer (104.67GMT) was found in treatment D (control group). Statistical analysis of the data on dressing percentage, breast meat, thigh meat and giblet organs weight e.g. liver, heart and gizzard revealed non-significant effect among the dietary treatment group. It was concluded that addition of organic acids (benzoic, acetic and formic) is helpful to improve weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio of the birds, these factors are specifically related to efficient and economical broiler production.