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This study was carried out to evaluate the growth performance, flock uniformity and economic returns from feeding broiler chicken with low protein diets supplemented with lysine. One hundred and fifty unsexed day-old Abor-acre strain broiler chicks were used in a six-week feeding trial. Five experimental diets were formulated: Diet T1 which served as the control contained 22.22 % crude protein (CP) and lysine inclusion of 0.50% while diets T2 -T5 had 16.6 % CP and between 0.60-0.90 % lysine inclusion with same level of methionine. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed for final weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed-gain ratio at the starter phase (1-3 weeks) and combined phases (1-6 weeks) while at the finisher phase, only the final weight was significantly influenced by the dietary treatments (p<0.05). Feed cost per kg of weight gain increased linearly with the lysine inclusion (p<0.05) while the income and profit per bird, and economic efficiency of gain (EEG) increased from T1-T5. Birds fed diets T2 and T3 compared favourably with birds fed on the control diet (T1) for final weight, weight gain and feed-gain ratio at all phases. Optimum production with least input is possible using a 16 % LCP diet supplemented with high dietary lysine for broiler production as it would translate to higher profit margin.inforMAtion Cronología del artículo. Recibido/Crecimiento, uniformidad e índices económicos de pollos de engorde alimentados con dietas bajas en proteína bruta suplementadas con lisina resUMen Este estudio se llevó a cabo para evaluar el crecimiento, la uniformidad del lote y retornos económicos de la alimentación de pollos de engorde con dietas bajas en proteína suplementadas con lisina. Se utilizaron ciento cincuenta pollos de engorde Abor-Acre de una semana de edad, sin sexar, en un ensayo de alimentación de seis semanas. Se formularon cinco dietas experimentales: la dieta T1 que servía como control contenía 22,22 % de proteína bruta (CP) y 0,50 % de lisina; las dietas T2-T5 tenían 16,6 % de CP y entre 0,60-0,90 % de lisina con el mismo nivel de metionina (0,25 %). Se observaron diferencias significativas (p<0,05) para el peso final, la ganancia de peso, la ingesta de alimento e índice de transformación, en la fase de inicio (1-3 semanas) y las dos fases combinadas (1-6 semanas). En la fase de acabado, el peso final fue significativamente influido por los tratamientos dietéticos (p<0,05). El costo de alimento por kilogramo de aumento de peso aumentó linealmente con la inclusión de lisina (p<0,05), mientras que los ingresos y la ganancia por ave, así como la eficiencia económica de la ganancia (EEG) aumentaron de T1 a T5. Las aves alimentadas con las dietas T2 y T3 mejoraron a las aves alimentadas con la dieta de control (T1) para peso final, ganancia de peso e índice de transformación, en todas las fases. La producción óptima de pollos de engorde con menos insumo, se consiguió con una dieta LCP 16% suplementada con alto nivel de lisina dietética lo que se traduciría en mayor margen de beneficio.

An 8-week study was piloted to establish the effect of Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) extract (Oyster mushroom) on health status and quality attributes of meat. One hundred and eighty (180) day old Cobb chicks were allotted into three treatments and orally administered extract of Pleurotus ostreatus at 0 (control), 2000 and 4000 mg/L. Haematological indices, serum metabolites, quality attributes of meat and oxidative stability of meat were determined. Oral administration of PO had no effect on haematological indices and some serum metabolites except serum albumin and calcium. Thiobarbituric acid (TBARs) in blood was lowered in 4000 mg/L group at week 4 and 8 of growth. Crude protein and water holding capacity (WHC) increased as level of oral administration of PO increased with the highest values in 2000 mg/l and 4000 mg/L groups. Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in meat tissue was highest in the 4000 mg/L treatment while Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances was statistically lowest and similar in the control and 4000 mg/L groups. It is concluded that Pleurotus ostreatus extract can be orally administered up to 4000 mg/L as an antioxidant in birds in order to decrease lipid peroxidation in birds and improve meat quality and oxidative stability.