Effect of Dietary Choline and Methionine on Broiler Chicks Performance and Some Blood Parameters

Abstract

ABSTRACT The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Choline chloride and/or methionine supplementation to diet adequate in all nutrients on the performance of broiler chicks. One hundred and twenty eight one day old unsexed broiler chicks were used in the experiment. Chicks were kept for 4 days adaptation period. Chicks were divided into four groups of 32 birds, 8 birds per replicate. The birds were fed on four experimental diets; unsupplemented diet with neither Choline chloride nor methionine (control), diet supplemented with methionine (0.3%), diet supplemented with Choline chloride (0.4%),and diet supplemented with both methionine (0.3%) and Choline chloride (0.4%),all diets were kept Iso-nitrogenous and Isocaloric according the NRC requirements for the poultry. in complete randomized design with factorial arrangement. Feed and water were provided ad libitum, feed intake and body weight were weekly recorded, weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated, the experiment lasted for 6 weeks. Eight birds from each dietary treatment were randomly selected, weighed and slaughtered for determining carcass dressing percentage and serum analysis. The results of experiment indicated that, all dietary treatments (Choline chloride, methionine and combination) have no effect on feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to control diet. Moreover, they reported similar observation on dressing percentage, \ protein efficiency and blood serum glucose. However, the level 0.3% of methionine showed the highest serum cholesterol (P<0.01) and total protein (P<0.01) content. Choline chloride level resulted in a significant increase (P<0.05) on total lipids and it decrease serum cholesterol. However, the interaction between choline chloride and methionine resulted in a significant decrease on serum total protein and cholesterol level