The effects of different levels of L-carnitine on performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters of broiler chickens

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of L-carnitine on performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters of broiler chickens. Two hundred day old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) assigned to 5 treatment with 4 replicates of 10 birds in each replicate were used in this experiment. Experimantal diets were: 1) basal diet; 2) basal diet + 150 mg/kg L-carnitine; 3) basal diet + 300 mg/kg L-carnitine; 4) basal diet + 450 mg/kg L-carnitine; 5) basal diet + 600 mg/kg L-carnitine. Results showed that adding L-carnitine had not significant effect on body weight gain from 0-21 d of age (P<0.05). But adding different levels of L-carnitine in diet had a significant effect on body weight gain during 0-21 d and whole period 22-42 d (P<0.05). Also had not significant effect on feed intake during 0-21 d and whole period 22-42 d. But adding L-carnitine in diet had a significant effect on feed conversion ratio during 0-21 d, 22-42 d and whole period. Result show that adding L-carnitine significantly increase the carcass weight, breast and leg meet (P<0.05). Adding different levels of L-carnitine in diet significantly decrease the abdominal fat (P<0.05) and decrease the blood cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, VLDL and also increase the blood albumin and globulin (P<0.05). But it had not significant effect on blood glucose, total protein and HDL. The result show that adding L-carnitine in diet improve the broiler chickens performance.