Abstract
Two hundred and sixteen 10 weeks of age hilly chickens were used to determine the effects of dietary energy and protein level on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality. The chicks were randomly allotted in to 3×3 factorial in a completely randomize design. Three levels of energy (2600, 2700 and 2800 ME kcal/kg) and three levels of dietary proteins (16, 17 and 18% CP) were offered ad libitum to the chicks from 10-16 weeks of age. There were no significant interaction effect between dietary protein and energy levels in the diets. At 10-16 weeks of age hilly chickens fed with the medium protein diet (17% CP) showed shortened feed intake (p<0.001) but FCR found better in 16% CP diet. Dietary protein levels higher than 16% CP did not show any significant effect on growth performance. However hilly chicken fed with lower protein diet converted protein to body weight and body weight gain more efficiently than those fed higher protein diets. Dietary energy contents of 2600, 2700 and 2800 ME kcal/kg did not affect the growth performance of hilly chicken except ME, CP intake and protein conversion ratio. ME and CP intake was increased with increasing dietary ME and CP levels (p<0.000). Protein utilization was better (p<0.05) in higher (2800 ME kcal/kg) and medium (2700 ME kcal/kg) ME level diet. L*, a* and b* of breast meat was not affected by dietary ME and CP (p>0.05). Dietary energy and protein level did not significantly (p>0.05) affect the drip loss, cooking loss and pH of breast meat between the treatments. Based on the data of growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality, the optimal dietary ME requirement of hilly chicken from 10-16 weeks of age is 2800 ME kcal/kg and the CP requirement is 16%.
 Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2021, 6 (1), 1-9
Highlights
Indigenous or local chicken are an important source of animal protein in the form of meat and eggs
These results shows that dietary protein and energy level had no significant (p>0.05) effects on body weight, feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio
Result from this study demonstrate that chicken fed with low protein diet 16% CP tended to have better feed conversion ratio (FCR) (3.8) compared with those of 17% CP (4.1) and 18% CP (4.1)
Summary
Indigenous or local chicken are an important source of animal protein in the form of meat and eggs. In Bangladesh hilly chicken is one of the modern developed genotype of native chicken for the production of meat. On the other side there is no doubt that dietary protein and energy requirements of growing chicken are variable due to many factors such as species, genotype (breed or strain), gender, growth phase, environmental temperature, housing system, plan of nutrition, diet nutrient digestibility, dietary amino acid balance and type and level of dietary fat (Mirza et al 2014; Perween et al 2016). Dietary crude protein and energy levels for the growing chickens that match their actual requirements in order to achieve optimal growth, superior feed conversion and the best economic efficiency and profitability (Liu et al 2015; Miah et al 2015). The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of dietary energy and protein on production performance and carcass characteristics of native hilly growing chicken
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