Abstract
In order to study productive performance and meat quality of slow-growing chicks used for rural poultry production in relation to methionine and enzyme supplementations, basal diets were formulated to contain 0.32, 0.29 and 0.27% methionine levels from 1 to 42 d of age, 43 to 84 d of age, and 85 to 98 d of age, respectively. These diets were supplemented with 0, 0.06 and 0.12% of DL-methionine; thus, there were three methionine levels during each period. These levels were fed with or without 750 FTY of phytase-6 or one g/kg of multienzymes; thus there were three methionine levels by three enzyme treatments in factorial design. Methionine levels of 0.44, 0.41 and 0.33% significantly increased productive performance from 1 to 42, 43 to 84 and 85 to 98 d of age, respectively. Phytase supplemented-basal diet and diet supplemented with 0.06% methionine and phytase yield similar productive performance to those of chicks fed diet supplemented with 0.06% and 0.12% methionine, respectively. Phytase improved significantly nutrient digestibilities, percentage dressed carcass and chest parts compared to the control and multienzymes groups. Increasing methionine levels by 0.06 and 0.12% improved significantly percentage dressed carcass, chest and hind parts by 2.2 and 2.7, 1.4% and 2.8 and 3.1 and 2.5%, respectively. However, the methionine level and/or type of enzyme supplementations did not significantly affect metabolic profiles such as plasma total protein, albumen, globulin, total lipids and cholesterol.
Highlights
Rural poultry production presents an important sector for agriculture development especially in the developing countries
Methionine levels of 0.35 and 0.41% significantly increased growth from 43 to 84 d of age by 2.3 and 6.0% respectively compared to the basal diets (0.29% methionine level), while they linearly improved FCR by 4.9 and 7.1%, meaning that the methionine level for optimum growth performance may be 0.44% or a higher level from 1 to 42 d of age
Attia et al, (2003a; 2005) indicated that slow-growing chicks used for rural production in extensive, semi-intensive and backyard system growing at 14.6 g/d from 1 to 56 d of age could be fed a diet containing 0.42% methionine for optimum productive performance
Summary
Rural poultry production presents an important sector for agriculture development especially in the developing countries. In Egypt, ~ 25-30% of poultry products are produced from the rural area using extensive, semi-intensive and backyard systems. Chickens reared under these conditions mostly suffer from malnutrition, especially for energy, protein/amino acids and minerals, due to poor quality of feeds and management, which contribute to low productive performance and economic benefits. In this regard, methionine requirements for broiler and leghorn type chicks are well documented (NRC, 1994). Methionine requirements are complicated by age and strain of birds, production level and physiological status, quality and level of dietary protein, and purpose of the production (Attia et al, 2005)
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