Studies on the feeding of cupric sulfate pentahydrate and cupric citrate to broiler chickens.
Male commercial broiler strain chickens were fed either a control diet (based on corn and soybean meal) or the control diet supplemented with cupric sulfate pentahydrate or cupric citrate in seven experiments (six in floor pens, one in wire-floored batteries). In Experiment 1, feeding 125 or 250 mg/kg copper increased growth (4.9%) and decreased feed conversion ratios (3.4%), total plasma cholesterol (40.2%), and breast muscle cholesterol (37.0%). Feeding 375 mg/kg copper was without further beneficial effect. In Experiment 2, withdrawing growth promoting supplements of copper from the feed for the last 7 d caused a significant (P < 0.05) increase in breast muscle cholesterol at 42 d of age: 57.2, 48.0, and 43.2 mg/100 g meat for birds supplemented for 0, 35, or 42 d, respectively. Feeding 10 vs 260 mg/kg copper caused only small increases in tissue copper levels: 0.36 vs 0.41 mg/kg for breast meat, and 0.48 vs 0.60 mg/kg for thigh meat, respectively. Litter copper accumulations in these experiments were similar to those of earlier reports. Breast muscle cholesterol was reduced by feeding 125 mg/kg supplemental copper from cupric citrate (27.84 mg/100 g) or 125 mg supplemental copper from cupric sulfate pentahydrate (25.32 mg/100 g) compared to broilers fed the control diet (43.92 mg/100 g). Cupric citrate was efficacious for growth promotion at lower copper levels than cupric sulfate pentahydrate, resulting in reduced litter copper.
Pesti
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GM
Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2772, USA.
Bakalli
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RI
D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019327:Copper Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors
D006133:Growth Substances; D019343:Citric Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D019327:Copper Sulfate