Effect of Different Dietary Betaine Fortifications on Performance, Carcass Traits, Meat Quality, Blood Biochemistry, and Hematology of Broilers Exposed to Various Temperature Patterns.

Improving broilers' production in the hot region is essential to overcome heat-stress challenges. The current experiment examined the effects of betaine's fortification (0.0, 0.075, 0.10, and 0.15%) to broiler chickens during days 1-40 of age. The growth period was divided into the starter (1-18 d) and growing-finishing (19-40 d). During the starter period, there was no heat challenge, and all birds were kept under the same conditions. At 18 days of age, half of the birds were kept under thermos-neutral temperature (TN, 22-24 °C), while the other half were kept under high temperature (HT, 35 °C). However, the production efficiency factor (PEF) was the best (p < 0.05) for birds that received 0.10% betaine. Betaine fortification improved (p < 0.05 and 0.01) body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and production efficiency factor (PEF) in the cumulative finisher heat-stress challenge period (19-40 d). The best performance was achieved at 0.1% betaine fortification with 84 g gain, 4.6 points improvement in FCR, and 24 points improvements in PEF as compared to no betaine fortification. The heat-stressed group consumed less feed (239 g), gained less weight (179 g), converted feed less efficiently (2.6 points), and, as a result, had lower FEF (29 points) as compared to the TN group. Conclusively, heat challenge had a powerful effect on growth performance, meat characteristics, and blood parameters, especially during the grower-finisher period. Betaine fortification (0.1%) during heat stress reduced the negative impact on performance and improved production efficiency, suggesting that betaine is a useful nutritional tool under stress conditions that deserves further investigation.

Effects of Different Dietary Levels of Blue Lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) Seed Meal With or Without Probiotics on the Performance, Carcass Criteria, Immune Organs, and Gut Morphology of Broiler Chickens.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different dietary levels of blue lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) seed meal with or without probiotics (Bacillus subtilis) in broiler diets on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, internal and immune organs, and gut morphology. Three experimental diets containing 0, 20, and 30% of blue lupine, with or without probiotics, were formulated and fed to 144 day (d)-old Ross 308 broiler chickens. Overall, chicks fed blue lupine meal diets, especially at the 30% rate, showed improved growth, feed performance parameters, and carcass characteristics in comparison to chicks fed a soybean meal-based diet. For example, a 30% blue lupine diet resulted in a significant increase in the duodenum length percentage of 35 d-old broilers; the addition of probiotics had no-effects on the dressing, thigh, and leg percentages of 21- and 35 d-old broilers and the drumstick and leg percentages of 35 d-old broilers. In conclusion, a 30% blue lupine seed diet with the addition of probiotics could provide a cheap source of protein without negative effects on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, immune organs and gut morphology of broilers.