EFFECTS OF COPPER SULPHATE ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND REDUCTION OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIAL LOAD IN THE GUT OF COMMERCIAL BROILER

Abstract

A study was carried out to investigate the effect of copper sulphate on the performance of broilers. A total number of 144 day-07 old chicks were randomly divided into four dietary treatment groups having 3 replications containing 12 birds in each replication among which four dietary group were considered: T0 (Basal diet with no supplemental CuSO4); T1 (Control + CuSO4 @ 100 mg/Kg feed); T2 (Control + CuSO4 @ 175 mg/Kg feed) and T3 (Control + CuSO4 @ 250 mg/Kg feed) respectively. Data on live weight and feed intake were collected and finally three birds from each replication were randomly selected and slaughtered for measuring carcass characteristics at 35 days of experimental periods. By using the SPSS software the collected data were analyzed at 5% level of significance. Total feed intake were non-significant (P>0.05) among the treatment groups but final live weight, live weight gain and FCR were significantly differed among the treatment groups. Significantly (P<0.05) higher body weight gain was found in T2 (2501.25±34.95) which was followed by T1 (2424.74 ±39.97) compared to T4 (2367.11±28.4) and T0 (2355.89±42.7) group respectively. The best and lowest FCR was found in T2 (1.40±0.022) than T0 (1.49± 0.03) while FCR in T1 and T4 group was 1.45±0.062 and 1.48± 0.23 respectively. In the present study, it was found that copper sulphate had significant (P<0.05) effect on dressing %, abdominal fat weight (g) and gizard weight (g) but no significant (P>0.05) effect on heart weight (g) and liver weight (g). The load of E. coli and Salmonella sp. was counted from the sample of intestine, cloaca and caeca of 35 days aged broiler. The E. coli and Salmonella sp. load in intestine, cloaca and caeca was significantly decreased in CuSO4 treatment groups compared to control group. Cost effective analysis of the present study revealed that net Profit/ broiler (Taka) was significantly highest in T2 (51.86±3.72) which was followed by T1 (42.62±4.34), T3 (36.23±4.18) and T0 (36.06±4.59) respectively. As comparing all the parameters, CuSO4 @ 175 mg/Kg feed can be added in commercial broiler diet for profitable broiler production.