HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kerr, B. J. Articles by Kidd, M. T. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kerr, B. J. Articles by Kidd, M. T.

Effect of Supplementary Tryptophan Prior to Marketing on Carcass Quality in Broilers

B. J. Kerr^*, E. T. Moran, Jr. and M. T. Kidd

^* USDA-Agricultural Research Service-Swine Odor and Manure Management Research Unit, Ames, Iowa 50011-3310
Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5416
Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762-9665

Correspondence: B. J. Kerr, E-mail: kerr{at}nsric.ars.usda.gov

Three experiments were conducted to examine the effect of supplemental Tryptophan on carcass quality of broilers. The first experiment utilized 49-d-old broilers with half of the birds crop intubated with 2 tablets, each containing 500 mg of Trp, compared with an equal number of birds not crop intubated, with processing occurring 14 h after intubation. For the second experiment, broilers were taken off feed on d 49, weighed, and allotted to either normal drinking water or offered a Trp-saturated solution containing 5 g of Trp per 1,000 mL of water for 4 h in pens during feed withdrawal until cooping for 14 h prior to processing. In the third experiment, a withdrawal feed was formulated with standard or high dietary Trp (2x requirement, 0.33 vs. 0.18%) and fed to broilers from 46 to 49 d of age. Our results suggest that supplemental Trp, whether in an intubated tablet, water, or final feed, was insufficient to have any meaningful effect on broiler carcass defects. Supplementation of Trp in the water did reduce water consumption compared with birds offered the control water (42.1 vs. 88.9 mL, respectively). Consequently, until the level and length of Trp supplementation can be determined to alleviate contradictory findings and inconsistent results reported in the literature, determination of the genuine effects of supplemental Trp on behavior modification and carcass quality improvements in broilers are speculative at this time.

Key Words: broiler • carcass quality • tryptophan