Effects of Dietary Crude Protein on Performance and Nitrogen Economy of Broilers

This study assessed the effects of dietary crude protein on performance and nitrogen economy of broilers. Chicks were allotted to 22, 20, 18 and 16% crude protein corn-soy diets in a completely randomized design for forty-two days. Several essential amino acids were observed to be deficient compared to recommendations for broiler chicks as the dietary crude protein level reduced. Feed intake, weight gain, feed to gain ratio, faecal nitrogen, nitrogen retention, anthropogenic potential and dressing percentage were influenced (P < 0.05) by the dietary treatments. However, mortality was not significantly different (P > 0.05). Feed intake, weight gain, nitrogen intake and output were significantly (P < 0.05) depressed as the CP level reduced. However, the best (P < 0.05) nitrogen retention and percentage faecal nitrogen was recorded for broilers fed 20% crude protein diet. Serum total protein, albumin, uric acid, creatinine and glucose were affected (P < 0.05) across treatments. It was concluded that there is a limit to which dietary crude protein of broilers could be reduced without any detrimental effects on the performance and nitrogen economy of the birds, even when the requirements for methionine and lysine has been met, as several other amino acids could be limiting. Consequently, to achieve significant improvement in nitrogen economy and reduction in amount of faecal nitrogen, 20% crude protein diets could be fed to broilers. However, there may be need to further manipulate the amino acid profile of the diet so as to improve its performance to be at par with higher crude protein diets.