Immunological Responses of Broiler Chicks Can Be Modulated by Dietary Supplementation of Zinc-methionine in Place of Inorganic Zinc Sources

Male broiler chicks were fed graded levels of organic zinc (zinc-methionine) supplementation to investigate the effects of partial or complete substitution of the organic zinc source for inorganic ones on the development of lymphoid organs and immunological responses.A total of 450 day-old male broilers were distributed into groups of 10 chicks and randomly assigned to nine experimental diets during a 42-day feeding trial.Dietary treatments consisted of two basal diets supplemented with 40 mg/kg added zinc