Influence of Various Levels of Organic Zinc on the Live Performance, Meat Quality Attributes, and Sensory Properties of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The influence of supplementing diets with various levels of organic zinc (OZ) on the performance, meat quality attributes,and sensory properties of broiler chickens was investigated. A total of 3,200 1-d-old female broiler chicks were randomlyallotted to 16 floor pens (replicates) with 200 birds per pen. A corn-wheat-soybean meal basal diet (control) was formulatedand 20 ppm OZ (20 OZ), 40 ppm OZ (40 OZ), or 80 ppm OZ (80 OZ) was added to the basal diet to form four dietarytreatments with four replicates per treatment. Live performance of broiler chickens, meat quality, and sensory propertieswere evaluated. The results showed no significant difference among the treatments for live performance of broiler chickens.Significant increases ( p<0.05) in thigh skin epidermis and dermis thickness were shown in the OZ supplementation groups;however, no effect of OZ on the thickness of back skin epidermis or dermis was found. Dietary OZ levels did not affect thepH of breast and thigh meat or the water holding capacity (WHC) of thigh meat, but the WHC of breast meat increasedsignificantly (p<0.05) when birds were fed 40 OZ and 80 OZ. Results of a sensory analysis showed no differences amongthe dietary treatments. In conclusion, dietary OZ did not affect live performance or sensory properties of broiler chickensbut did increase the WHC of breast meat and thickness of skin layers; thus, improving carcass quality in broiler chickens. Key words: organic zinc, live performance, meat quality attributes, sensory properties, broilers