Studies on Supplementation of Feed Additives on Carcass Characteristics and Slaughter Losses of Babcock Cockerels

Abstract

to study the effect of supplementation of three commercially feed additives viz., Ambiplex, Protexin and Metazyme on carcass characteristics and slaughter losses of Babcock cockerels poultry birds. The Day old cockerel chicks were divided into four groups including control group up to 10 weeks. Each group had three replicates of 15 birds in each replicate The analysis of variance revealed that there was no significant effect in carcass characteristics viz., live weight (847.67 to 905.67 g), dressed weight (75.26 to 76.49%), eviscerated weight (70.12 to 71.70%) and giblet weight (4.75 to 5.14%) in all treatment groups. However, the mean values for bled weight percentage in T 4 (97.04±0.15) group was significantly (P<0.05) higher than T 2 (95.92±0.11) group. However above groups were statistically similar to T 1 and T 3 groups (96.36±0.12 and 96.44±0.38 respectively). In slaughter losses, the mean values of Feather loss (7.04 to 7.41), Evisceration loss (14.23 to 16.11) and Total loss (25.04 to 26.39) percentages among the treatment groups differed non-significantly. However, the mean blood loss percentage in T 4 group (2.96±0.15) was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of T 2 (4.08±0.11) group. They were statistically similar to T 1 (Control) and T 3 groups (3.64±0.12 and 3.56±0.38 respectively).