Meat performance and metabolism of broiler ducklings on diets with different protein levels

Abstract

When feeding broiler ducklings of the Agidel 343 breed, the most optimal raw protein level in the pre-start (0-10 days old), start (11-21 days old) mixed fodder of the first phase of fattening can be considered 22 and 21% and the second phase 21% (22-49 days old). It was found that at the end of fattening with increasing the protein level in mixed fodder of the second phase from 17 to 19 and 21%: increase in live weight of young ducklings by 4.5-8.8%; decrease in feed expenses per 1 kg of live weight gain of ducklings by 4.4-9.5%; increase in preservation of young animals by 5.3%; stimulation of protein and carbohydrate exchange in ducklings body by increasing total protein content in blood serum by 3.1-9.2% and glucose by 5.5-8.5%; improvement in nitrogen exchange by increasing total nitrogen absorbed in body by 6.8-18.7%; increasing slaughter yield from 68 to 68.5-69.8%, increasing muscle yield from 46.7 to 47.5-49.1% and edible body parts from 55.7 to 56.2-58.0%; increasing European fattening efficiency from 233 to 277 and 300 units and increasing economic efficiency by increasing the profitability of duck meat production from 29.2 to 39.1-41.4%.