NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Supporting optimal duck performance
BY DOLORES I. BATONON-ALAVO AND YVES MERCIER, ADISSEO A
new study looked at the performance, feather growth and carcass traits of ducks fed diets sup- plemented with different levels of the two me- thionine sources. Body weight gain was similar for
both sources and increased with dose. Along with feather, carcass and breast weight results: the study verified the full efficiency of hydroxy-methionine (OH-Met) to achieve opti- mal performance of ducks. Supplementation with OH-Met shows additional benefits, for example, an increase in ducks’ total antioxidant capacity.
Worldwide duck production With an ever-growing population, the focus on producing sufficient, affordable and nutritious food continues. Duck meat is very popular in China, which has 80% of the five bil- lion grower ducks worldwide. Of those grower ducks, 3.8 bil- lion are Pekins. After China, South East Asian countries have the largest population of 280 million Pekin ducks with a pro- duction with various industrialisation levels. But there is great potential for growth, with large breeding and feed compa- nies setting up to support these developing markets. The aim of these operations will be to help their customers exploit the genetic potential of Cherry Valley ducks. There- fore, a nutritional solution that helps to optimise body weights and feather growth will be invaluable. Feathers are a significant part of the profit from duck production. Poor feathering increases condemnations and downgrading of birds at slaughter. Meat yield is a key performance indicator and in China in particular there are very high standards for carcass quality. Therefore, optimal feather cover is essential to maintain profitability.
Importance of methionine Nutritionists are clear that it is necessary to supplement poul- try diets with methionine to ensure performance objectives are met. Methionine is essential for both growth and feather- ing; even a slight deficiency will reduce performance and hence economic returns. It plays biological roles beyond pro- tein synthesis, through conversion into other sulphur com- pounds such as glutathione and taurine, two major cellular non- enzymatic antioxidants.
New research looked at ways to improve duck productivity. Previous trials have shown that providing adequate levels of methionine improves the performance of poultry in general and that the equivalent bioefficacy of DL-methionine (DL-Met) and hydroxy-methionine (OH-Met) to sustain poultry growth has been demonstrated.
There are three sources of methionine used in animal nutri- tion: L-methionine, DL-methionine (DL-Met) and hydroxy-me- thionine (OH-Met). OH-Met is as efficient as DL-Met to sustain broiler growth and this comparison has also been made in ducks. A study published in Poultry Science in 2016, investi- gated the efficacy of OH-Met and DL-Met in Pekin ducks. Compared to a basal diet, supplementation with methionine improved body weights and was dose dependent. An expo- nential model of regression revealed a similar efficacy for growth between sources. The researchers suggested that diet ary methionine concentrations of 0.37% are required to achieve optimal body weights in the starter period.
Feathering and antioxidant properties Feathers provide insulation to reduce maintenance energy needs as well as prevent skin abrasions and infections. Opti- mum feathering is considered crucial in modern poultry
Table 1: Methionine level and sources in the control and experimental rations.
Treatment Methionine Source
1 Basal diet 2 DL-Met 3 DL-Met 4 DL-Met 5 DL-Met 6 OH-Met 7 OH-Met 8 OH-Met 9 OH-Met
Level of supplementation (%) Starter ration 0.00 0.04 0.12 0.15 0.20 0.04 0.11 0.16 0.19
▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 1, 2019
Grower ration 0.00 0.02 0.06 0.10 0.15 0.02 0.05 0.11 0.14
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