Journal of Agriculture
and Environmental Sciences

Growth, Digestive Tract and Muscle Weights in Slow-Growing Broiler is not Affected by a Blend of Branched-Chain Amino Acids Injected into Different Sites of Egg
Canan Kop-Bozbay, Nuh Ocak

Abstract
One hundred-fifty fertile eggs from 30-week-old Ross x Rhode Island Red (RIR) breeders as a factorial arrangement of 3 injection site (amnion, yolk sac or albumin) and 2 levels of BCAA (Control and BCAA, 0.2%) were arranged into 6 groups with 3 replicates. The solutions used in ovo feeding were aseptically prepared to contain 0% (C) or 0.2% BCAA (mixed within ratio of 2 L-leucine: 1 L-valine: 1 L- isoleucine) in 0.5% saline. At 18 d of incubation 1 ml of in ovo feeding solution was injected into the amnion (A), yolk sac (Y) or albumin (AL) of egg. Hence, there were six nutrition treatments; AC (n = 25), ABCAA (n = 25), YC (n = 25), YBCAA (n = 25), ALC (n = 25) and ALBCAA (n = 25). Upon hatch obtained birds were fed on standard broiler diets until slaughter (8 weeks of age). The YC had lower gizzard weight (P = 0.023) compared to other treatments. The interaction effect of factors on the gizzard weight was found significant (P < 0.025). The in ovo BCAA injection increased the gizzard weight of AL chicks while decreased that of A and Y birds. The crude fat content of thigh meat from Y birds was lower than those of A and AL broilers (P = 0.029). However, growth performance, muscles weights, digestive tract weight and length and abdominal fat, hearth, liver, weights are not affected by factors. The role of in ovo BCAA injection in slow-growing broiler needs further research.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jaes.v4n1a32