Diet cationic variation on absolute weight, carcass yield and noble broilers cuts

Abstract

This work was conducted at Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Cuiabá in order to determine the best electrolyte balance (EB) for broilers, based on the live weight at 42 days, the carcass yield and noble cuts. 720 male broilers with 42-day-old, from Coob commercial line, were used. The birds were reared in floor, covered with shaving woods and fed with corn soybean rations, supplemented with NH4Cl, in order to obtain the following levels of EB: - 50; 0; 50; 100; 150 e 200 mEq/kg. A block randomized design was used with six replicates and 24 birds per experimental unit. The EB levels affect the live weight at 42 days, the carcass absolute weight and also the noble cuts, showing that the levels between 270 up to 300 mEq/kg should be the most appropriated. The relative weight of carcass and noble cuts were not affected by the EB level. It was verified that the simultaneous adition of both sodium and potassium is more indicated to obtain the best value of EB, for those characteristic evaluated.