Effect of nucleotides supplementation on carcass traits and meat composition of thigh and breast muscles of broiler chicken

An experiment was conducted on 120 day-old broiler chicks (Cobb-400) reared on deep litter system to study the effect of dietary nucleotides supplementation on carcass traits and meat composition of thigh and breast muscles. The chicks were randomly divided into four dietary treatment groups (T₁, T₂, T₃ and T₄), each group having three replications consisting of ten broiler chicks each. The control group (T₁) was fed without nucleotides and groups (T₂, T₃ and T₄) were supplemented with nucleotides in basal feed at the rate of 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 per cent, respectively. At the end of experiment on 42^nd day, two birds from each replicate (six birds/treatment) were randomly sacrificed for carcass yield, yield of cut up parts, organ weights, processing losses, and carcass composition. The dietary nucleotides supplementation improve the weight of different organ cut up parts, liver and gizzard and lean meat production with best performance in group supplemented with 0.03% of nucleotides. However, the dressed yield with or without giblet were not affected by nucleotide supplementation. Fat content of thigh and breast muscles were significantly (P< 0.05) reduced due to supplementation. On the basis of results of present study, it can be concluded that dietary nucleotides supplementation at 0.03% level may be recommended to improve the weight of different cut up parts, liver and gizzard weight and lean meat production in broiler chicks.