Effects of Feeding Organic Zinc, Manganese and Copper on Broiler Growth, Carcass Characteristics, Bone Quality and Mineral Content in Bone, Liver and Excreta

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary organic Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn) and Copper (Cu) supplements at 50% or 100% combinations of the broiler strain recommendations for these essential micronutrients on growth performance, carcass characteristics, tibia bone morphometric parameters and strength and mineral deposition in tibia, liver and content in excreta. A total of 648 one-day-old Arbor Acres female broiler chicks were randomly allotted to 9-groups with 4-replicates of 18-chicks each. A corn-soybean meal basal diet supplemented with 100% Zn + 100% Mn + 100% Cu as inorganic salts (Control) and other 8-combinations of 50% or 100% of Zn, Mn and Cu as organic minerals were added to form 9 dietary treatments. Results showed that birds fed diet supplemented with 50% Zn + 50% Mn + 50% Cu, added as organic minerals, improved growth performance, carcass characteristics, tibia quality accompanied with decreasing trace mineral deposition in tibia, liver and excreta. The increased bioavailability of these micronutrients, when presented in organic forms, may be due to improved absorption because of their binding to organic moieties, or to the protective effect due to their association with organic matrices.