Effect of organic acids fed through drinking water on carcass and internal organs of broiler chickens

Abstract

A Six week study was carried out to investigate effect of different organic acids (OAs) fed through drinking water on carcass yield and internal organs weight of broiler chickens. The OAs were acetic acid (AA) butyric acid (BA), citric acid (CA) and formic acid (FA). One hundred and fifty (150) day old AborAcre-plus chicks were used. There were five treatments. Treatment 1 which served as control (CON) consumed water with no organic acid, while treatments 2,3, 4 and5 respectively were offered drinking water treated with 0.25% acetic acid (AA), butyric acid (BA), citric acid (CA) and formic acid (FA). Each treatment was replicated three times each having 10 birds arranged in completely randomized design (CRD). Feed and water were offered ad libitum. Results showed that dressed carcass weight and breast weight were improved by all the organic acids. While only AA positively influenced the thigh weight, all the OAs drinking water fed resulted to smaller drumstick compared to the CON. Feeding of AA, BA and FA through drinking water increased (PSO.05) deposition of abdominal fat. Weight of pancreas, small intestine, caecum and large intestine was significantly (P<0.05) higher in CON. The gall bladder was significantly (P<0.05) bigger in all the OA groups. Conclusively, OAs could be fed through the drinking water for improved percentage carcass yield, breast meat and larger gall bladder and invariably bile volume