Evaluation the Effect of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Levels and Feeding Methods on Meat Quality and Performance of Female Broiler Chickens

• Published in: Russian agricultural sciences Vol. 47; no. 6; pp. 635 - 642
• Main Authors: Moftakharzadeh, S. A., Khirkhah, H., Towhidi, A., Moravej, Hossein, Hatefi, A., Masoudi, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chickens; Cholesterol; Conversion ratio; Dry matter; Feed conversion; Life Sciences; Meat; Muscles; Plant Biochemistry; Poultry; Weight; meat quality; zilpaterol hydrochloride; blood plasma parameters; broiler chickens
• ISSN: 1068-3674; 1934-8037
• DOI: 10.3103/S1068367421060070

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of dietary Zilpaterol Hydrochloride (ZH) and feeding methods on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and blood parameters in Ross female broiler chickens. For this, 200 female broilers Ross 308 with 25 days age were assigned to eight treatments. A factorial arrangement comprising four ZH doses (0, 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3 mg zilpaterol/kg of live weight –1 ) and two feeding methods of ZH supplementation (daily or every two days) was applied. In general, the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of birds significantly improved ( P < 0.05) with ZH in comparison with the control group ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in weight gain among all tested animals ( P > 0.05). Administration of ZH significantly increased the relative weight of leg muscle and reduced abdominal fat compared to the control treatment ( P < 0.05). While dry matter, ash, and tissue fat had not changed ( P < 0.05) leg muscle protein and fat of ZH-treated birds were higher and lower than the control group, respectively ( P < 0.05). In comparison with the control group, only addition of 0.3 mg ZH decreased the cholesterol value of plasma ( P < 0.05). Overall, the results demonstrated that zilpaterol hydrochloride fed at the finishing period enhances the growth performance of female broiler chickens and the most economical dose of ZH was 0.25 mg when added every two days.