Feeding methionine hydroxyl analogue chelated trace minerals reduces mineral excretion to the environment in broiler chickens

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of feeding mineral methionine hydroxyl analogue chelates (MMHAC) zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) (MINTREX® Zn:Cu:Mn, Novus International, Inc.) and high dietary inorganic Cu level on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass yield, excreta nitrogen (N) and mineral level, environmental conditions, bone parameters and welfare status of Ross 308 males. A total of 384 one-day-old chicks were randomly distributed to four dietary treatments with eight replicates of 12 birds per pen per treatment. The treatments consisted of (1) ITM ZnSO4 110 ppm, CuSO4 16 ppm, MnO 120 ppm (ITM), (2) MMHAC Zn 40 ppm, Cu 10 ppm, Mn 40 ppm (MMHAC10), (3) ITM ZnSO4 110 ppm, TBCC 125 ppm, MnO 120 ppm (TBCC125), and (4) MMHAC Zn 40 ppm, Cu 30 ppm, Mn 40 ppm (MMHAC30). There were three feeding phases, including starter (days 0-10), grower (days 10-21) and finisher (days 21-42). Growth performance was calculated per feeding phase. Data were analysed using R Commander with P-value ≤ 0.05 considered significant. The results showed that broilers fed the MMHAC10, MMHAC30 and TBCC125 diets tended to have higher FI with the highest FI observed for TBCC125 treatment (P = 0.052), and higher weight gain with the highest weight gain observed for MMHAC30 group (P = 0.063) compared to the ITM control group over the entire study. Although, a significant difference was not obtained, birds fed MMHAC10 had numerically higher overall liveability and European productivity index (EPI) over the entire study compared to the other groups. Thigh and drumstick weight were higher in birds fed MMHAC30 compared to the ITM control group at day 42 (P = 0.050). At days 10, 16, 21, 28 and 42, feeding MMHAC at both levels significantly decreased Zn and Mn levels while feeding TBCC125 increased Cu level in the excreta compared to the other dietary treatments (P < 0.001). Also, birds fed the MMHAC30 diet had higher Cu digestibility compared to those fed the MMHAC10 and ITM diets at day 21 (P < 0.01). Whereas, litter conditions, levels of air gases (ammonia, carbon dioxide and methane), bone parameters and welfare indicators were generally similar between the dietary treatments. Thus, it can be concluded that dietary supplementation of MMHAC at the reduced levels could serve as a nutritional strategy to improve growth performance and carcass yield while maintaining litter quality, bone health and welfare status and reducing Zn, Cu and Mn excretion of broilers into the environment, therefore reducing the environmental impacts of broiler production.