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| The
Impact of Copper on Poultry Production Economics |
Copper is widely used to improve production economics in pigs
and considerable supportive research has been published. By
contrast, there has been very little published work in poultry
to reveal the impact of copper on weight gain, feed conversion
or carcass characteristics. The lack of good data leads to
considerable variation in industry practice.
One published study (Pesti, G. M. and R. I. Bakelli, 1996.
Poultry Sci. 75:1086-1091) showed that copper both improved
live production efficiencies and reduced cholesterol in breast
meat. The response continued through the last week of growth.
Several major integrated poultry producers had done research
in their private facilities and concluded that Micronutrients
TBCC® (TBCC) improved their results,
but specific data were not available. For this reason, Micronutrients
participated in sponsoring two studies in broiler chickens.
They were designed to reveal any response from higher dietary
copper levels and to compare TBCC to copper sulfate. Copies
of the complete reports on these studies are available upon
request. The following brief summaries highlight key findings.
The "Challeng Litter" Trial
This work was done at Virginia Scientific Research, Inc.,
Harrisonburg, VA and completed in December 1996. It involved
6,048 chickens in a seven week feeding cycle with seven treatments
x twelve replications. Used litter from a previous flock of
birds was used with no top dressing in an attempt to reveal
any possible differences between copper sources in control
of mold in the litter. Unfortunately, the mold counts on samples
of litter were widely scattered so that no differences between
controls and either copper source could be determined.
The moist litter combined with a relatively high stocking
density to reduce overall live performance (feed conversions
of 2.0 to 2.1 at 7 week bird weights of 4.6 to 5.1 lb.). Standard
deviations on bird performance data were also high, requiring
eight points of feed conversion to achieve the threshold of
statistical significance.
Despite these difficult conditions, some interesting observations
emerged. All combinations of copper source/level significantly
improved weight gain compared to controls. On feed conversion,
there was a clear trend indicating copper improves this key
component of production economics.
All combinations of copper source/level were at least four
points lower than the control birds and three were better
with statistical significance (indicated by striped bars).
| Seven
Week Bird Weight |
Seven
Week Feed Conversion |
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"Commercial
Trial"
A second research trial was run in the spring of 1997 at PARC
Institute, Easton, MD. This study used litter conditions and
stocking density more closely reflecting commercial practice.
3,136 chickens were fed for seven weeks. The same treatments
as in the earlier trial were used with eight replications.
Overall bird performance was better and the data were tight
and consistent. Feed conversion differences were statistically
significant at three points and the trends were clearly evident
even when below the level of significance.
Weight gain and feed conversion were both significantly better
than the control birds for 188 ppm copper from TBCC and 250
ppm copper from copper sulfate.
| Seven
Week Feed Conversion |
Seven
Week Bird Weight |
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Conclusions
- Copper
improves broiler performance under both disease stress
and "healthy" conditions. These studies show feed conversion
improvements of at least three points. Savings from conversion
improvements as small as one point are large compared
to the cost of copper.
- The
improvement response to copper increases up to 250 ppm
Cu from sulfate (2.0 pounds copper sulfate / ton) and
188 ppm from TBCC (0.64 pounds TBCC / ton). In both studies
the response to copper continued in the grower stage.
- Optimum
bird performance is obtained at 188 ppm Cu from TBCC.
33% more copper is needed from the sulfate salt to get
equivalent results.
- When
copper levels are limited, as under Canadian regulations,
125 ppm from TBCC gives as much improvement in conversion
efficiency as 188 ppm from sulfate.
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