Feed digestibility, Nitrogen balance and productivity of broiler chickens with different sources of Copper in their compound feed

Abstract

Studying the influence of various sources of Copper, namely its inorganic and organic form, on the digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in the organism of broiler chickens is actual. The purpose of the work: in a physiological (exchange) research conducted against the background of a scientific and economic experiment in the conditions of the vivarium of the Bila Tserkva National Agricultural University on 3 groups (50 heads each) of broiler chickens of the “Cobb-500” cross, to investigate the influence of inorganic and organic forms of Cuprum on the digestibility of nutrients, Nitrogen balance and poultry productivity. The first control group received cuprum sulfate, on average during the growing period 16.5 g/t of compound feed, the second and the third - experimental groups, which received 16.5 g/t and 12.5 g/t of cuprum proteinate compound feed, accordingly. According to the digestibility of raw protein, the broilers of the research groups exceeded the control analogues by 4.5–6.2 % (Р ≤ 0.05), crude fat – 3.1–4.3 % (Р ≤ 0.05), crude fiber – 3.5–4.4 % (Р ≤ 0.01) and BER nitrogen-free extractive substances by 2.2–6.4 % (Р ≤ 0.05). Nitrogen balance was positive in all experimental groups, but in broiler chickens of groups 2 and 3, compared to the control, its daily deposits were higher by 3.5–6.4 % (Р ≤ 0.05). Improvement of digestibility of nutrients and Nitrogen balance due to the use of cuprum proteinate caused an increase in the preservation of poultry stock in the experimental groups by 5.6–7.2 %. The replacement of copper sulfate with its proteinate, at the same concentration of the trace element in compound feed, had a positive influence on the average daily increments of broiler chickens and, accordingly, on their live weight. The advantage of the chickens of the 2nd experimental group over the control analogues was 7.5 % in terms of average daily gains and 9.4 % in terms of body weight at the end of the experiment. A decrease of 25 % compared to the control in the concentration of Copper in the compound feed of the chickens of the third experimental group also had a positive influence on the productivity of the poultry. Their advantage over control analogues in average daily body weight gain was 3.8 %, and in live weight – 5.8 %. A linear dependence of the productivity of broiler chickens on the amount of feed consumed was noted. Compared to the control analogues, the broilers of the 2nd experimental group consumed 3.3 % more feed, and the chickens of the 3rd experimental group exceeded the poultry of the control group by 1.5 %. Thus, compared to cuprum sulfate, cuprum proteinate is a more effective source of trace elements in compound feed for broiler chickens. At the same time, the concentration of Copper in poultry compound feed should be: at the age of 5–21 days – 18.2 g/t, 22–35 days – 16.8 g/t, 36–42 days – 12 g/t, or 16.5 g/t on average over the period of the experiment.