Effect of coated calcium feeding on growth performance, carcass traits, immunity, blood biochemistry and tibial bone morphometry in commercial broiler chicken.

Abstract

The bone abnormalities pose great concern in heavy, rapidly growing broilers, resulting in significant economic loss, and health issues in birds. To address these problems and prevent unnecessary mineral excretion into environment, it is crucial to optimise the inclusion level of dietary calcium in broiler's diet. The calcium utilisation by the bird is also affected by its source, particle size, bioavailability etc. Hence this study aimed to study the effect of partially replacing conventional dietary calcium source with coated calcium on growth performance, immune response, carcass traits, blood calcium and phosphorus, and mineral retention in broilers. About 416 broiler chicks were randomly distributed into four treatments, each with eight replicates of 13 birds and fed with iso-calcium, isocaloric, and isonitrogenous diet for 42 days. The T₀ (control) was a basal diet while the T₁, T₂, and T₃, were treatment diets in which conventional calcium source (limestone) was partially replaced with coated calcium by 10, 20, and 30% respectively. The birds of T₃ group showed higher (P < 0.05) body weight gain, better feed conversion ratio and higher carcass yields compared to T₀, T₁, and T₂ diet fed birds. Further the treatment groups exhibited higher (P < 0.05) cell-mediated and humoral immune responses and immune organ weights compared to control. The tibial bone weight, length and average diameter was highest (P < 0.05) in T₃. Moreover, the T₃ diet fed group also showed higher (P < 0.05) calcium and phosphorus content in serum and bone and lowest content of these minerals in the excreta followed by T₂, T₁ and control. These findings suggest that a 30% conventional calcium source with coated calcium may be used as a high-grade mineral source for broiler chicken feed.