Effects of Feeding Methionine Hydroxyl Analogue Chelated Zinc, Copper, and Manganese on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Mineral Excretion and Welfare Conditions of Broiler Chickens: Part 1: Performance Aspects

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This floor pen study explored the effects of feeding mineral methionine hydroxyl analogue chelates (MMHACs) zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) on growth performance, carcass processing weight and quality, nutrient digestibility, gizzard erosion score, and bone parameters of broilers. One-day-old Ross 308 male chicks (n = 384) were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments with eight replicate pens per treatment and 12 birds per pen. The treatments were as follows: (1) inorganic trace mineral ZnSO4 110 ppm, CuSO4 16 ppm, MnO 120 ppm (ITM); (2) MMHAC Zn 40 ppm, Cu 10 ppm, Mn 40 ppm (M10); (3) Inorganic trace mineral ZnSO4 110 ppm, tribasic copper chloride 125 ppm, MnO 120 ppm (T125); (4) MMHAC Zn 40 ppm, Cu 30 ppm, Mn 40 ppm (M30). The birds were fed nutritionally complete wheat sorghum soybean meal-based diets from days 0 to 42 with three feeding phases including starter (days 0–10), grower (days 10–21), and finisher (days 21–42). The findings revealed that birds on the T125, M10, and M30 groups possibly had higher feed intake (p = 0.052) and higher weight gain (p < 0.063) than birds on the ITM group from days 0 to 42. Furthermore, birds fed the M30 diet had higher thigh and drumstick weights compared to those fed the ITM diet at day 42 (p = 0.05). Additionally, birds offered the M30 diet had increased ileal Cu digestibility compared to birds offered the M10 and ITM diets at day 21 (p = 0.006). Gizzard erosion scores and bone parameters were similar between the dietary treatments. Hence, the supplementation of MMHACs to broiler diets at 30 ppm may be a more suitable strategy to increase weight gain and the thigh and drumstick processing weight while maintaining the bone health of broiler chickens.