RESUMO
Study of 35 days was conducted to evaluate citric acid (CA) as an additive in poultry broiler feed with lower mineral content of calcium (Ca) and total phosphorus (TP) in commercial broiler poultry birds for its effect on growth, nutrient utilization, carcass characteristics, and economics. Vancobb-400 strain day old broiler chicks were divided into four main treatment groups T0, T1, T2, and T3. Treatment groups were further divided into eight replicates with ten chicks in each. T0 served as control, given standard corn-soy flakes-based ration (Pre-starter %: Crude protein (CP)-23, Ca-1.00, TP-0.70; Starter %: CP-22, Ca-1.10, TP-0.72, and Finisher %: CP-20, Ca-0.99, TP-0.70). Treatment T1 served as positive control with added 0.5% CA (Pre-starter %: CP-23, Ca-1.00, TP-0.70; Starter %: CP-22, Ca-1.10, TP-0.72 and Finisher %: CP-20, Ca-0.99, TP-0.70). Treatment T2 was given feed containing 0.5% CA with low Ca and TP content (Pre-starter %: CP-23, Ca-0.90, TP-0.66; Starter %: CP-22, Ca-0.99, TP-0.71 and Finisher %: CP-20, Ca-0.90, TP-0.69), whereas treatment T3 was given feed containing 0.5% CA with moderately low Ca and TP content (Pre-starter %: CP-23, Ca-0.80, TP-0.65; Starter %: CP-22, Ca-0.88, TP-0.70 and Finisher %: CP-20, Ca-0.79, TP-0.68). Birds offered moderately low Ca and TP with 0.5% CA addition, exhibited higher growth rate (P < 0.05), better nutrient utilization with positive influence on dressing percentage and forequarters weight. Economics of broiler feeding revealed that 0.5% CA supplementation fetched highest gross return above feed cost in broiler birds offered feed with moderately low Ca and TP content whereas lowest profit was recorded in feed with low content of Ca and TP. In conclusion, supplementation of 0.5% CA in feed with low and moderately low Ca and TP content positively influenced overall growth, and carcass characteristics. Economics of broiler feeding with moderately low Ca and TP content revealed highest profit with CA (0.5%) supplementation.