NUTRITION ▶▶▶


Mineral source in broiler parent feed affects broiler growth and bone development


BY HENRY VAN DEN BRAND, BAHADIR CAN GÜZ, ROOS MOLENAAR AND INGRID DE JONG, WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY


I


f organic minerals work for broilers, this could also be the case for parent stock, leading to more minerals end- ing up in the hatching egg which would then also be available for the embryo. If more minerals are available


in the hatching egg, this could lead to better embryonic bone development and fewer leg problems in the broilers. The effects of different mineral sources in parent feed on bone development in broilers have hardly been studied and this has only been examined for regular broilers and not for slower growing broilers. This is why Wageningen University & Research conducted a study on the mineral source (organ- ic or inorganic) in parent feed in relation to the growth and bone development of both regular and slower growing broilers. Chicks from parent stock fed with organic minerals were expected to have stronger bones due to a greater mineral density.


Experiment In this study 120 Ross 308 and 120 Hubbard JA 57 parent ani- mals, along with 12 males per breed, were fed a breeder diet for 10 weeks, containing minerals (calcium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, copper, iron and selenium) in either inorganic or organic form. This resulted in 4 treatments: Ross Inorganic, Ross Organic, Hubbard Inorganic and Hubbard Organic. After 10 weeks on the different feeds, eggs were collected and ana- lysed for mineral concentration. In addition, some eggs were incubated. A number of day-old chicks were analysed for mineral concentration in the body. Of the offspring, 384 males were set up in 32 pens measuring 1.25×2.00 metres, each with 12 chicks. The temperature was 32°Celsius (C), which dropped to 22°C on day 25 and beyond. A light sched- ule of 24 hours per day was used for the first 3 days after set- up, after which the chicks received 16 hours of light per day. Ross chicks were kept until day 42 and Hubbard chicks until day 49. Chicks were fed unrestricted with a 3 phase feeding schedule. The chicks were vaccinated against IB and on day 11 against NCD.


There are various sources of minerals. Most poultry feeds use inorganic minerals, such as monocalcium phosphate or chalk. However, it is also possible to use organic minerals in which the minerals are bound to an amino acid or a protein. This increases mineral absorption in the intestine, making more minerals available to the animals.


Measurements The chicks were weighed individually at set-up and then on days 10, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49. Feed intake was deter- mined for days 0-14, 14-35, 35-49 and over the entire growth period. The feed conversion was also calculated for these periods. At a body weight of approximately 2,600 grams (day 38 for the Ross chicks and day 49 for the Hubbard chicks), 3 chicks per pen were selected. The left leg of these chicks was assessed and assigned a score by a vet for leg problems,


Table 1 – Effects of the mineral source (inorganic or organic) in parent feed on growth, feed intake, feed conversion and tibia characteristics of Ross and Hubbard broilers.


Breed


Mineral source in parent feed Weight day 0, grams Weight day 42, grams Weight day 49, grams


Feed intake day 0 – 42, grams Feed conversion day 0 – 42


Tibia traits at 2,600 grams Weight, g


Volume, cm3


Mineral density, g/cm3 Breaking strength, N


3129a -


4765 1.54


15.39 24.6c 0.29b 257.9


a,b,c Values with a different letter in a line differ. ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 6, 2022 27 Ross 308


Inorganic 42.3


Organic 42.4


3100a -


4712 1.54


15.75 25.4c 0.32b 271.4


Hubbard JA 757


Inorganic 39.4


1993c 2619b 3387 1.74


17.10 33.1b 0.29b 275.4


Organic 38.6


2108b 2751a 3548 1.72


17.34 38.7a 0.42a 290.0


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