title: Evaluation of a commercially available organic acid product on body weight loss, carcass yield, and meat quality during preslaughter feed withdrawal in broiler chickens: a poultry welfare and economic perspective.
abstract: The effect of a commercial organic acid (OA) product on BW loss (BWL) during feed withdrawal and transportation, carcass yield, and meat quality was evaluated in broiler chickens. Two experiments were conducted in Brazil. Commercial houses were paired as control groups receiving regular water and treated groups receiving OA in the water. Treated birds had a reduction in BWL of 37 g in experiment 1 and 32.2 g in experiment 2. In experiment 2, no differences were observed in carcass yield between groups. Estimation of the cost benefit suggested a 1:16 ratio by using the OA. In experiment 3, conducted in Mexico, significant differences on water consumption, BWL, and meat quality characteristics were observed in chickens that were treated with the OA (P < 0.05). These data suggest this OA product may improve animal welfare and economic concerns in the poultry industry by reducing BWL and improving meat quality attributes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menconi
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kuttappan
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Velasco
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urbano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Matté
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Layton
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kallapura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Andreatti Filho
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lovato
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hargis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tellez
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D001938:Brazil; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D008800:Mexico; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D000143:Acids
keywords: chicken; meat quality; organic acid; transportation; welfare