Effect of supplementation heat stress alleviating agents on growth performance of broilers subjected to heat stress

Three hundred day old broiler straight run chicks of Vencobb 400 strain were randomly distributed into five treatment groups having three replicates of 20 chicks in each. The dietary treatment groups were the control diet (BIS, 2007, A), basal diet + vitamin C @ 250 mg/kg diet (B), basal diet + chromium picolinate @ 2.5 mg/kg diet (C), basal diet + magnesium sulphate @ 2.5 g/kg diet (D), basal diet + vitamin C @ 250 mg/kg diet + chromium picolinate @ 2.5 mg/kg diet+magnesium sulphate @ 2.5 g/kg diet (E). The birds fed with heat alleviating agents had shown significantly (P<0.05) higher body weights and weight gain than control. Combination of vitamin C, chromium picolinate and magnesium sulfate or chromium picolinate alone group showed higher body weight. Feed intake and feed efficiency were found to be improved significantly (P<0.05) in broilers fed different nutritional agents in combination or alone. Highest mortality was observed in control group (23.33%), however lowest mortality was observed in treatment group B (3.33%) and treatment group C (3.33%). Economically, chromium picolinate supplemented groups had given better performance. It may be concluded that the supplementation of chromium picolinate alone or in combination with other heat stress alleviating agents had shown significantly higher body weight, weight gain and improved feed efficiency.