Effect of Different Levels of Copper Supplementation on Performance of Coloured Meat Type Birds

Antibiotic growth promoters have been widely used in broiler production to improve growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. However, development of microbes resistant to antibiotics prevents their use and hence alternatives are required. Therefore, a study was planned to elucidate the effect of Cu supplementation on the growth performance and carcass traits of coloured meat type birds. Ten week old sixty birds were randomly divided into three groups of 20 (5 replicate of 4 birds each) each. The control group was fed the basal diet (T₁), while the similar diet was supplemented with 125 and 250 ppm of Cu through copper sulphate penta-hydrate in groups T₂ and T₃, respectively. Copper supplementation had positive effect on body weight gain at both the levels, but the effect on dressing weight and liver weight was more pronounced (P<0.05) at 250 ppm of Cu supplementation. Therefore, supplementation of Cu at 250 ppm in the diet of coloured meat type birds was found to be beneficial to improve the growth performance as well as the carcass traits of these birds.