Abstract
Abstract. This study was conducted to determine the effects of two lighting programs (continuous program; 24 h lighting or intermittent; 12 h daylight followed by three cycles of 1 h lighting and 3 h dark program during the night period) and three different ascorbic acid (AA) supplementations (0, 200 and 400 mg/l, added to water) on some serum parameters, ash content and mechanical properties of tibiotarsus. For this purpose one-day-old male commercial (Ross PM3) broiler chicks (n=600) were divided into 6 treatment groups (2×3) with random replicates (4 replicates per treatment). At the end of 6 weeks, intermittent lighting program negatively influenced serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and calcium (Ca) levels (P<0.001) while continuous lighting program had positive influence on bone ash, Ca and phosphorus (P) content (P<0.001). The AA addition decreased serum inorganic phosphorus (Pi) level and positively affected bone chemical characteristics (P<0.001). On the mid-section of the bone, although intermittent lighting had positive effect on bone mechanical parameters (P<0.001), no remarkable effect was observed by AA supplementation. The results of the present study suggest that interaction of intermittent lighting and AA supplementation (200 mg/ l) may have positive effect on chemical composition and mechanical characteristics of bone in broilers.
Highlights
Commercial broilers are economic agricultural field production units in which the objective is to maximize field performance (ANDRASSY-BAKA et al 2003)
Data obtained for the animals that were subjected to intermittent lighting was significantly better (P
We have investigated the effect of different lighting schedule and ascorbic acid (AA) on some serum and bone peculiarities in Ross PM3 broilers
Summary
Commercial broilers are economic agricultural field production units in which the objective is to maximize field performance (ANDRASSY-BAKA et al 2003). Market age poultry often suffer from lameness and bone deformities, which can cause bone breakage during catching and transportation and which create problems during processing (KNOWLES and WILKINS 1998). Bone is a dynamic tissue influenced by physical, physiological and nutritional activities (RATH et al 2000). The Ca and P are primary inorganic nutrients in the bone that may be important for bone strength (KNOWLES and WILKINS 1998). There has been increasing interest over the relationship of feeding with bone strength and skeletal disorders in broilers (FLEMING et al 1998, EDWARDS 2000, AFSHARMANESH and POURREZA 2005). AA nutrition influences Ca and P metabolism in young chicks. Birds are normally able to synthesize adequate amounts of AA there are many indications showing that they can not produce enough AA for their metabolic needs (COATES 1984). KUTLU and FORBES (1993) reported that the amount of AA to be added into feed for broiler health was not clear
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