EFFECT OF GRADED LEVELS OF GUSTOR BP70R ON SENSORY AND MEAT QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

The increase in demand for antibiotic-free livestock products and ban on antibiotic growth promoters necessitate the poultry feed industry to search for alternative means of enhancing growth in poultry species. Sodium butyrate is used as a source of butyric acid, which is known for its beneficial effects in the gut of monogastric animals. This study investigated sensory and meat quality attributes of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with graded levels of Gustor BP70R. Ninety- six (96) day old broiler chicks were randomly allotted into four (4) treatments of twenty-four (24) chicks per group which were replicated thrice to contain eight birds each. The dietary treatments were formulated to include Gustor BP70R at 0g, 0.20g, 0.30g and 0.40g as control (T1), T2, T3 and T4 respectively in a completely randomized design. At the end of the feeding trials, three birds were randomly selected per treatment, slaughtered, then the carcasses were weighed, recorded and used for sensory properties and meat quality attributes. Data obtained were subjected to one- way analysis of variance. Result for sensory properties revealed no significant (P<0.05) in appearance for breast muscle, appearance and taste for drumstick while thigh muscle showed no significance in all parameters investigated. However, for meat quality attributes, significant (P<0.05) differences were observed in thermal shortening cold shortening and chilling loss across the treatment among all carcass parameter evaluated. In conclusion, diets with inclusion of 0.40g of Gustor BP70R enhances sensory and meat quality attributes of broiler chickens.