The Effect of EconomasE^® as a vitamin E replacer on performance, meat quality and organ weights of broiler birds

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing EconomasE®( EcoE) as a vitamin E replacer on performance and meat quality of broilers. A total of 300 one-d-old male broilers were randomly assigned into 6 treatments. Each treatment comprised 5 replicates of 10 broilers each. Broilers were allocated to 1 of 6 diets and were fed for 42 d in a complete randomized design (CRD). The dietary treatments included four concentrations of EconomasE® (150 g, 200 g, 250 g and 300 g /ton) and a 100 IU vitamin E/kg level. The control group was fed with basal diet only. During 42-d growth period, all test diets increased the weight gain of broilers compared to the control (p<0.05). EcoE at 200g/ton (T3) diet fed birds had the highest weight gain (53.6 g/d) with the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) (1.71) (p< 0.05). Three birds from each replicate were sacrificed at the end of experiment to evaluate relative weights of organs and small intestine of broilers, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, and sensory properties of broiler breast meat. The lowest cook loss (14.1%), highest water holding capacity (63.1%) and higher juiciness of breast meat were recorded from 200 g/ton EconomasE® fed birds (p<0.05). The higher relative weights of bursa, spleen, gizzard, duodenum and jejunum were recorded by EcoE fed broilers (p<0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of EconomasE® has the same or better effects on performance, meat quality and organ weights of broilers compared with dietary supplementation of 100 IU vitamin E/kg.

Keywords

• broilers, economase®, fcr, vitamin e, water holding capacity