THE EFFECT OF ADDING LIQUID AMINO ACIDS TO DRINKING WATER ON THE PER FORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKS AND LAYING HENS

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding liquid amino acids to the drinking water on the performance of broiler chicks and laying hens. Three experiments were carried out in this investigation. A completely randomized design was used in analyzing the results of this study. In the first experiment (broiler chicks), 160 one day old unsexed commercial broiler chicks (Hybro Strain) were housed on deep litter opensided house, for 7- weeks during (October up to November, 2003) at kuku Animal Production Research Center- khartoum North, minimum and maximum temperature were 22-36C°. All diets had similar crude protein and metabolizable energy. Four treatments of addition of soluble amino acids to the drinking water were done for different periods (2,4 and 6 days consecutively, for groups B, C and D compared with a control group (A) which received no soluble amino acids in drinking water, replicated four times each. The results showed that the addition of liquid amino acids to the drinking water improved the performance of broiler chicks significantly (P<0.05). (water consumption, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio). Feed intake was not affected significantly with the addition of liquid amino acids to the drinking water in all tested groups A, B, C, and D. Treated water with liquid amino acids had no significant effect on the carcass parameters as, dressing percentage breast weight, thigh weight, drum stick weight and giblets weights. The protein content of carcass was affected significantly (P<0.05) increased. The birds which received liquid amino acids in water exhibited high livability rate in comparison with the control group. Birds which received limiting amino acids in drinking water for 4 days consecutively attained better performance and were more profitable with least cost for broiler chicks studied. x In the layers experiment two experiments were conducted ( Winter and Summer season ), 80 hens- Bovans strain- (25 weeks old ) were selected from 120 laying hens on basis of prducing 5 eggs/ week/ hen, and were housed in 16 experimental units for 12- weeks during Winter (February, March and April, 2004 ) at Kuku Animal Production Research Center- khartoum North. Average minimum and maximum temperature were 18 and 36C°. Summer experiment during ( April, May and June, 2004). Average minimum and maximum temperature were 26 and 43.8C°. All diets had similar crude protein (18%) and metabolizable energy mj/kg (11.7). Four treatments of adding limiting amino acids to the drinking water were done for different periods of (2, 4 and 6 days conseculively), for groups B, C and D respectively, compared with the control group (A) which was receiving no limiting amino acids in drinking water. Each was replicated four times. The results obtained in the Winter experiment showed that the addition of liquid amino acids to the drinking water improved the performance of laying hens such as, water consumption ( 23265, 24973, 26010 and 24189 ml/hen ), feed conversion ratio ( 2.16, 1.95, 1.80 and 1.99 ), egg production ( 65, 77, 80 and 73.3 egg/hen ), egg size ( 51, 53.5, 55 and 58 g/egg ) and egg mass ( 3774, 4105, 4443 and 4063 g/hen ) for groups A, B, C and D respectively. Also the results obtained in the Summer experiment showed that the addition of limiting amino acids to the drinking water improved the performance of laying hens such as, water consumption ( 28317, 32877, 33462and 25355 ml/hen ), feed conversion ratio ( 2.36, 2.04, 1.90 and 2.19 ), egg production ( 59.5, 68, 71 and 63.5 egg/hen ), egg size ( 50, 53.5, 56 and 50.5 g/egg ) and egg mass ( 2944, 3529, 3798 and 3238 g/hen ) for groups A, B, C and D respectively. Feed intake was not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the addition of limiting amino acids to the drinking water during Winter and Summer experiments . The best performance in the two experiments, was attained by group (C) which received limiting amino acids in water for 4- days consecutively. Egg characteristics were significantly ( P<0.05) improved in some characteristics such as albumen weight and yolk weight during Winter and Summer xi experiment . Group (D) which received soluble amino acids for 6- days consecutively attained better weights of albumen and yolk for Winter experiment. Group (C) which received soluble amino acids for 4- days consecutively attained better weights of albumen and yolk for Summer experiment. Shape index and shell thickness was not affected significantly (P>0.05). The results indicated that group (C) which received soluble amino acids for 4- days consecutively, exhibited better performance and more profitable with the least cost under the study conditions. xii