Effects of Graded Levels of Betaine Supplementation on Growth Performance and Intestinal Morphology in Indigenous Young Yellow Feather Broilers
Effects of Graded Levels of Betaine Supplementation on Growth Performance and Intestinal Morphology in Indigenous Young Yellow Feather Broilers
Chen-Yu Sun, Wen-Chao Liu*, Mei Xiao, Zhi-Hui Zhao and Li-Long An*
ABSTRACT
This 28-d feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with different levels of betaine on growth performance and intestinal morphology in Chinese indigenous young yellow feather broilers. A total of 360 male, one-d-old Huaixiang chickens with an average initial BW of 44.52 ± 1.07 g were randomly allotted to 4 treatments. Each dietary treatment consisted of 6 replicate cages, with 15 birds per replicate. The 4 dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based diets and supplemented with 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg betaine, respectively. During d 1-14, with increasing the dietary betaine levels from 0 to 2000 mg/kg, the BWG was improved (quadratic, P<0.05), whereas the FCR was decreased (linear, P<0.01). During d 14-28, dietary supplementation of graded level of betaine had no significant effects on BWG, feed intake and FCR (P>0.05). Overall (d 1-28), there was a quadratic increase in BWG (P<0.05) and a linear decrease in FCR (P<0.01) with increasing betaine supplementation. In addition, dietary supplementation with different levels of betaine increased the villus width (linear, P<0.05), serosal layer thickness, muscular thickness, and wall thickness of duodenum (quadratic, P<0.05), and the serosal layer thickness and wall thickness of jejunum were also improved by inclusion of different level of betaine (cubic, P<0.05). Moreover, dietary supplementation of betaine increased the length of ileum (quadratic, P<0.05). In conclusion, the betaine could be used as growth promoter for Chinese indigenous young yellow feather broilers (Huaixiang chickens), and the betaine also exerted positive effects on intestinal morphology. The suitable recommended supplemental amount is 500 mg/kg.
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December 2019
Vol. 51, Iss. 6, Pages 1999-2399
