EFFECT OF COPPER SULPHATE LEVEL IN THE DIET ON BROILER PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS QUALITY

Abstract

The present experiment was carried out on 480 c0mmercial broilerchicks to determine the effect of adding copper sulphate on growthperformance (body weight, food conversion, mortality) and on carcassquality (cholesterol and copper level in breast muscles but onlycopper concentration in liver).Four groups of birds, each of 120 chicks were used. Experimentaldiets were formulated from vegetable feeding stuffs, corn, andsoybean meal and feed additives to cover the requirements in twophases of feeding program (First, from 1 to 21 days & second from 22to 42 days) at the period of the experiment. The first group was fed onbasal diet without any copper sulfate supplement. The second, thirdand fourth groups were fed on the basal diet supplemented with 150,250, and 350 mg Cu SO4/ Kg feed respectively.The results demonstrated that supplementation of feed with coppersulphate, 250 or 350 mgkg feed had significant positive effects ongrowth until the fourth week as compared to control group, but thesecond group fed 150 mgkg copper sulphat had no significantdifference during the experiment periods.On the other hand there were no significant difference in feedconversion ratio, mortality rate and copper level in the liver andbreast muscle between the control group and the groups fed ondifferent levels copper sulphate supplemented diets but cholesterollevel in breast muscles was decreased with increasing copper sulphatelevel in the diet to 350 mg/kg.It was concluded that the addition of copper sulphate in highconcentration (up to 350 mg kg) was safe and has a positive effect ongrowth and reduced cholesterol level in the breast meat.