EFFECT OF TAFLA (EGYPTIAN CLAY) AS FEED SUPPLEMENT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKS.

Abd EI Meged,, A. W.; Hemid, A. A.; Abdel Azeem, F.

doi:10.21608/jappmu.2004.238985

EFFECT OF TAFLA (EGYPTIAN CLAY) AS FEED SUPPLEMENT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKS.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Poultry Nutrition Department, Animal Production Research lnstitute., Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

² Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/jappmu.2004.238985

Abstract

A total number of 150 unsexed 7day old Hubbard chicks were distributed into
five experimental treatments. Each of 30 chicks in 3 replicates (10 chicks I replicate)
was used in this study. The first experimental group was fed on the control diet,
whereas, groups 2, 3,4 and 5 were fed on the control diet supplemented with Tafla
(local clay) at levels of 1.5,3,4.5, and 5% .A starter diet was used during the starter
period (7-28 days of age) contained 22.03 % CP and 3105 kcal ME Ikg diet, while the
finisher diet containing 19.00 % CP and 3196 kcal ME Ikg diet was used during the
finisher period (29-49 days of age) all the nutrients were as recommended by NRC
(1994. Diets were nutritionally evaluated through growth performance feed intake and
feed conversion as well as percentage of dresslnq. digestib'rlity trials and blood
parameters.
Results obtained could be summarized as follows:
1.Average live body weight, body weight gain, survival rate and economical efficiency
% were significantly (p < 0.01) increased in broiler groups fed on the diets
supplemented with 3%Tafla compared with other groups.
2. Values of feed conversion were significantly improved, while average feed
consumption was decreased significantly with Tafla supplementation 1.5% level.
3.Digestibility coefficients of OM, OM CP, EE, CF and NFE were significantly (p < 0.01)
increased with Tafla supplementation at levels 1.5 and 3%.
4.Relative wei~hts of carcass traits studied were significantly affected by 1.5 and 3%
Tafla supplemented diets
In general, these results indicate that using (1.5 and 3% Tafla) as feed
additives enhance the productive performance and economical efficiency with n o
adverse effects on bleod constituents of broiler chicks.

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