Dietary carnitine did not influence performance and carcass composition of broiler chickens and young turkeys fed low- or high-fat diets.
Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of supplemental dietary carnitine on performance and carcass composition of young turkeys and broiler chickens. Experiments 1 and 2 were done with poults to 21 d of age and broilers to 45 d of age, respectively. Three dietary concentrations of L-carnitine (0, 50, or 100 mg/kg) were fed in a factorial arrangement with two concentrations of animal-vegetable fat (A-V fat), 2.25 or 8% in Experiment 1 and 1 or 5% in Experiment 2. L-Carnitine did not affect (P > .05) BW gain or feed efficiency in either experiment, irrespective of concentration of dietary fat. Similarly, proximate composition of 21-d-old poults and 45-d-old broilers was not changed by L-carnitine. Increasing levels of fat supplementation improved feed efficiency of poults and improved 45-d BW and feed efficiency of broilers. Carcass fat of poults and broilers was increased (P < or = .05) by supplemental fat at the expense of carcass water and protein.
Barker
D L
DL
Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-3150.
Sell
J L
JL
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002645:Chickens / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005527:Food, Fortified; D008297:Male; D014422:Turkeys / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*
D004041:Dietary Fats; D002331:Carnitine