Effect of a prebiotic on performance of partridge

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of a prebiotic on performance of partridge. The experiment was carried out with a total of eighty-day-old male Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar chukar) chicks in a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments consisted of a control and an experimental treatment, and each treatment was replicated four times with 10 chicks per replicate. The experimental period lasted 16 weeks with a starter period (0-8 weeks) and a grower period (9-16 weeks). The control group was fed the basal diet, while the experimental group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.18% prebiotic Aspergillus meal in each period. Performance parameters included body weight gain, cumulative feed consumption and cumulative FCR and were recorded at biweekly intervals. Carcass characteristics and blood parameters were measured at the end of the experiment (week 16). Although the results showed that prebiotic had no significant effect on body weight gain and cumulative feed conversion ratio; however, the supplementation of Aspergillus meal significantly (p < 0.05) decreased cumulative feed consumption. Also prebiotic significantly increased percentages of breast and gastrointestinal tract, decreased percentage of back-neck, decreased blood triglyceride and total cholesterol content and increased blood calcium content. From this study, it was concluded that dietary supplementation of 0.18% Aspergillus meal might offer beneficial effects on partridge feed consumption, carcass quality and blood cholesterol.

Effect of management system and dietary yeast autolysate on the performance, slaughter and carcass characteristics of partridges (<i>Alectoris chukar</i>)

“…Dietary supplementation with yeast autolysate improved the FCR in both the FH and FRH groups across all rearing periods of the study (P <0.05). These results were similar to those found by Khaksar et al (2014) in their study conducted on partridges.…”

“…The FCR during the overall study period was 6.59 -7.21 g/g, similar to the results reported by Arslan (2004), lower than the results reported by Khaksar et al (2014), and higher than the results reported by Gulsen et al (2010). The interaction between production system and feed supplementation had no effect on FCR across all periods.…”

“…The growth performances of partridges raised in the different production systems and feed supplementation groups are presented in Table 3. The ADG over the complete study period (4.43 -4.73 g/day/bird) was similar to the results reported by Arslan (2004), lower than the results reported by Yamak et al (2016) and higher than those reported by Khaksar et al (2014). The interaction between production system and feed supplementation had no effect on ADG during the starter, grower, and overall periods.…”

“…In terms of production system, the best ADG performance was determined in the chicksreared in the FH systemduring the starter (P >0.008) and overall (P >0.000) periods. In this study, the FI during the overall period was 31.01 -31.90 g/day/bird, and this value was determined to be similar to the results reported by Arslan (2004), lower than the results reported by Khaksar et al (2014) and higher than the results reported by Sengul et al (2005). The interaction between production system and feed supplementation had no effect on FI at any time point (P >0.05), but the lowest FI was determined in the trial 2% group raised in the FH system across all periods.…”

“…Moreover, yeast autolysate has performance-enhancing effects when used as a feed supplement for poultry (Bolacali & Irak, 2017). Khaksar et al (2014) conducted a study, and found that using prebiotics in partridge diets reduced the feed intake and back-neck percentage and increased the breast and intestine percentages.…”