Effects of Different Marine Shell Sources on the Performance of Broilers

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of marine shells as sources of calcium on the performance of broiler chicks. 144 day-old Cobb broiler chicks were used for the 9-week study and were acclimatized and re-acclimatized in the first and fifth weeks, respectively. They were randomly assigned to 6 treatment groups replicated twice with 12 chicks each, and housed in deep litter pens. Four types of marine shells (periwinkle, sea snail, clam, and oyster) were procured, washed, dried, ashed, ground, and incorporated into the experimental diets. The diets were T1 (positive control- with limestone), T2 (negative control-without any calcium source), and T3, T4, T5, and T6 containing periwinkle, sea snail, clam, and oyster shells, respectively. The calcium and phosphorus content of the marine shells were determined. Feed and water were offered ad libitum. Data were collected on feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the performance parameters measured during the starter and finisher phases. Therefore, these marine shells can be used as alternative sources of calcium in the diets of broilers without deleterious effects on their performance.