Response of Broiler Chicks to Supplemental Inorganic Sulphate and Sulphite Compounds in a Tropical Environment

A feeding trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of sulphate and sulphite compounds in sparing sulphur amino acid, methionine, in broiler chicks raised in a tropical environment. A significant (P <0.05) growth response was obtained by the addition of 0.30% DL-methionine to a corn-soybean basal diet, confirming that the diet was de?cient in methionine. The best growth performance was obtained in the diet supplemented with 0.15% methionine plus 0.1O% sodium sulphate (Na2S04). The addition of sodium sulphite (Na2SO;), either singly or plus methionine, gave a signi?cant (P<0.05) decrease in weight gain although feed efficiency was slightly improved. The weights of organs as a proportion of body weight varied significantly among dietary treatments. The weights of liver increased (P<0.05) in all supplemented diets with the exception of the diet containing 0.15% methionine plus 0.15% Na2SO4, while the weights of kidney and spleen decreased with the exception of the diet supplemented with 0.30% methionine. Enhanced levels of serum protein, and serum albumin (P<0.05) in diets supplemented with methionine and Na2SO4, indicated good nutritional status of birds consuming these feeds whereas enhanced levels of uric acid and creatinine in diets supplemented with Na2SO3 indicated poor feed quality. The hypothesis is advanced that there is either a dietary requirement for sulphate per se or that sulphate spares methionine through conversion to cystine.