IMPACT OF HEAT STRESS ON FEED INTAKE, NUTRIENT UTILIZATION AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKEN AND ITS AMELIORATION THROUGH SUPPLEMENTATION OF ASCORBIC ACID

The present experiment was conducted to study the impact of heat stress on feed intake, nutrient utilization and growth performance in broiler chicken and its amelioration through supplementation of ascorbic acid (AA). One hundred and sixty (160) day old broiler chicks were randomly assigned into four homogenous groups. All the chicks were fed on standard formulated diet. The first control group (CON) was reared at room temperature, whereas other three groups were subjected to heat stress and reared without any supplementation (HS) or supplemented with synthetic (HS-SA) and natural (HS-NA) source of ascorbic acid. Daily feed intake and body weight was recorded to assess growth performance, while a metabolism trial was carried out to arrive at nutrient utilization efficiency. Heat stress was found to be pessimistic for feed and water intake and reduced the growth rate in broiler chicken, however AA supplementation from either source helped to minimize such effects. Again, the AA was found to be effective in mitigating the depressed nutrient utilization efficiency of heat stressed chicken. The present study suggested that the discouraging effect of heat stress on feed intake, nutrient utilization and growth performances of broiler chicken can be well managed through supplementation of AA from synthetic or natural sources