EFFECT OF DIETARY L-CARNITINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS QUALITY OF LOCAL DUCK BREEDS IN SUMMER SEASON | ||||
| Egyptian Poultry Science Journal | ||||
| Article 2, Volume 36, Issue 1, March 2016, Page 11-27 PDF (899.8 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/epsj.2016.11372 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| H N Fahim1; M M Beshara1; awad lotfy awad2 | ||||
| 1Anim. Prod. Res. Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Ministry of Agric. Dokki, Giza. | ||||
| 2animal production reaserch institute | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| A total number of 270 Domyati ducklings at 21-day-old were used, weighed and divided into five experimental groups to investigate the effect of dietary L-carnitine (LC) supplementation level (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 mg/kg) on growth performance, carcass quality, hematological and blood serum constituents as well as economic efficiency in summer season. The results indicated that dietary LC supplementation resulted in a significant (P≤0.01) improvement in live body weight at 63 and 84 day of age, while body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and production index were significantly (P≤0.01) improved as compared to the control group during the overall experimental period (21-84 day of age). Eviscerated carcass and total edible parts (%) were significantly (P≤0.05) improved by supplementing different LC levels to the diet as compared to the control, but abdominal fat (%) was significantly (P≤0.01) decreased. Breast and thigh yield (%) were significantly (P≤0.01) higher for ducklings fed diets supplemented with 450 and 600 mg LC/kg than those fed the control diet. Dietary supplementation of different LC levels resulted in a significant improvement in muscles (%) for both breast and thigh, while skin with subcutaneous fat (%) was significantly decreased as compared to the control. Dietary supplementation of different LC levels resulted in a significant (P≤0.01) increase in crude protein and decrease in ether extract content for breast and thigh muscles than the control group. Hemoglobin content was significantly higher for ducklings fed diet supplemented with 300 up to 600 mg LC/kg as compared to those fed the control diet. Lymphocytes (L) cells (%) was significantly (P≤0.01) increased, while heterophils (H) cells (%) and H/L ratio were significantly (P≤0.01) decreased for ducklings fed diets supplemented with different LC levels than the control. Serum triglycerides constituent was significantly decreased for ducklings fed diets supplemented with different LC levels than those fed the control diet, while, total cholesterol was significantly decreased by feeding these diets except for 150 mg LC/kg diet which was insignificantly decreased. Economic efficiency was significantly higher for ducklings fed diets supplemented with different LC levels, while, 300 and 450 mg LC/kg diet recorded the best values than those fed the control diet . | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Ducks; L-carnitine; Growth performance; carcass quality | ||||
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