EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF COMPOUND FEEDS FOR BROILER CHICKENS WITH INCREASING LEVELS OF CORN-BASED DISTILLERS DRIED GRAINS WITH SOLUBLES ON CARCASS TRAITS AND MEAT CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

I. Ivanova

Abstract: The purpose of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of compound feed supplementation with increasing levels of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on carcass traits and meat chemical composition of broiler chickens. The group production experiment was conducted with 400 male dayold Ross 308 broiler chickens, divided into 8 groups of 50 birds in each. The live weight was individually controlled at 10, 28 and 49 days of age. The experimental birds were reared on a wooden shavings litter, with ad libitum access to compound feed. The experimental design was as followed: group I (control), received compound feed without DDGS. Chickens from experimental group II to group V received 0% DDGS with the starter, 10% DDGS with the grower (G) and increasing levels of DDGS (from 10 to 25%) with the finisher (F). Chickens from groups VI to VIIІ were fed 0% DDGS with the starter, 15% with the grower and different levels of DDGS (from 15% to 25%) with the finisher. At the end of the 49-day experimental period, 4 chickens from each group with live weight equal to the group average 24 СЕЛСКОСТОПАНСКА АКАДЕМИЯ●ЖИВОТНОВЪДНИ НАУКИ, LII, 1/2015 were slaughter and slaughter analysis was performed. The inclusion of 10/10% DDGS in G/F of broiler chickens fattened up to 49 days of age did not influence significantly the slaughter traits compared to control chickens (without DDGS). Feeding compound feed containing 10/20% and 10/25% DDGS in G/F, and the supplementation of G/F with 15/15%, 15/20% and 15/25% DDGS reduced statistically significantly (Р<0.05) bratfertig, grill and breast weights in 49-day-old broiler chickens as compared to controls. The supplementation of G/F with 10/20%, 10/25%, as well as 15/15%, 15/20% and 15/25% DDGS decreased thigh weight in experimental groups vs control (Р<0.05). Breast muscles of chickens receiving compound feed with G/F DDGS content of 10/10% exhibited the highest protein content whereas those fed 15/25% DDGS with G/F had the lowest protein content (Р<0.05) both vs control and other experimental groups. Breast muscle fat content was the highest in chickens fed 15/15% and 15/25% DDGS with G/F compared to non-supplemented birds (Р<0.05). Chickens receiving compound feed with 10/15%, 10/20%, 10/25%, 15/15%, 15/20% and 15/25% DDGS with G/F had lower thigh meat protein content than control chickens (Р<0.05). Grower/finisher supplementation with 10/25%, 15/15%, 15/20% and 15/25% G/F resulted in increased thigh meat fat content (6.05-6.32%) vs controls (5.50%) and vs birds from experimental groups ІІ-ІV (Р<0.05). The results from the present experiment allowed recommending the supplementation of grower and finisher for broiler chickens with 10% DDGS.

Keywords: broiler; DDGS (dried distillers grains with solubles); meat composition; slaughter performance

Date published: 2017-02-08