MVSc

An investigation was carried out at the Department
of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal
Sciences, Mannuthy to evaluate the effect of
supplementation of sodium sulphate in broiler diets
devoid of animal protein sources. T•wo hundred and ten,
one-day old straight-run commercial broiler chicks were
reared for a period of eight weeks under five different
dietary treatments. The dietary treatments consisted of
control ration (T1) prepared using unsalted dried fish
as animal protein source, all vegetable protein diets
with the addition of 300 g DL- methionine (T2),
anhydrous sodium sulphate at the levels of 200 g (T3),
300 g (T4) and 400 g (T5) in every 100 kg diet. All the
rations were formulated as per BIS (1992) specification
of nutrients for brpiler chicken. Soybean meal, ground
nut cake and gingelly oil cake were used as protein
sources in all vegetable protein diet. The chicks were
fed with starter diets upto six weeks of age and there
after finisher diet up to eight weeks of age. Except
for the difference in feed, all the management
practices followed were uniform for the different



treatment groups.


Body weight, body weight gain, feed


intake and feed efficiency were recorded at fortnightly
intervals. At the end of eighth week processing yields
and losses, total serum protein and haemoglobin content
of blood
were recorded. Cost benefit analysis were
ascertained for different dietary treatment groups at
sixth and eighth weeks of age.
Results of the study revealed that the mean
cumulative body weight of broiler recorded at sixth
week of age did not reveal any significant difference
between dietary treatments. But body weight recorded at
eighth week of age revealed significant difference
(P<0.05) between dietary treatments. Broilers fed with
control diet (Tl) recorded the highest (P weight but is statistically comparable to group fed
wi th 0.3 per cent sodium sulphate (T4). Broilers fed
all vegetable protein diet with 0.4 per cent sodium
sulphate (T4) is statistically comparable to T2, T3 and
T5. Similar trend was followed in body weight gain
also. Feed intake of broilers in the group fed with 0.2
per cent sodium sulphate (T3)
statistically comparable to
was the. lowest and was
control
group
protein
(Tl) .
diet
Broilers
fed
with
with
all
vegetable
supplemented
methionine
(T2)
recorded
significantly higher feed consumption. The cumulative

feed consumption upto eight weeks of age was not
affected by either sodium ~ulphate or methionine
supplementation. Mean cumulative feed efficiency at



sixth week of age recorded significant


(P<0.05)



difference between treatments. Broilers fed control
diet and sodium sulphate supplemented diet recorded
better feed efficiency when compared to all vegetable
protein diet supplemented with methionine (T2). At
eighth week of age cumulative feed efficiency was not
affected by supplementation of either sodium sulphate
or methionine. Processing yields or losses were not
affected by different dietary treatments. Haemoglobin
and serum protein were not influenced by dietary
treatments. Mortality pattern showed no difference
among the five dietary treatment groups. All vegetable
protein rations prepared with the addition of either
methionine or sodium sulphate had higher price when
compared to control ration. Based on this study it was
summarized that supplementation of methionine or sodium



sulphate


in


all


vegetable


protein


diet


has


no



deleterious effects on the performance of broilers.
Moreover it was revealed that sodium sulphate can be
added at 0.2 per cent level in the broiler starter and
finisher vegetable protein ration when good quality
fish is not available.