Effect of Dietary Protein and Fat on the Plasma Cholesterol and Packed Cell Volume of Chickens Exposed to Different Environmental Temperatures

The effect of different levels of dietary protein and poultry fat on plasma cholesterol in White Plymouth Rock chickens was studied at three different environmental temperatures (8°, 19° and 30° C.). An inverse relationship between dietary protein and plasma cholesterol existed when poultry fat was added. Environmental temperature significantly influenced the plasma cholesterol level. Birds at 30° C. had a lower cholesterol level than similar groups at 8° or 19° C. Increases in protein levels of diet from 22 percent to 25 percent did not affect the packed cell volume (pcv) significantly. Adding 5 percent poultry fat to the diet resulted in a significant increase in the pcv. However, no additional increase occurred with the increase of poultry fat added from 5 percent to 10 percent. The blood of birds maintained in hot environmental temperature (30° C.) was found to have significantly higher water content than those of the other two groups.