The Effect of Organic Acid and Desiccated Ox Bile Supplementation on Performance, Fat Digestibility, Blood Metabolites and Ileal Digesta Viscosity of Broiler Chickens Fed Tallow

In order to study the effect of different levels of desiccated ox bile (DOB; 0.00, 0.25, and 0.50%) and organic acid (OA; 0.00, 0.15, and 0.30% of the diet) on performance, fat digestibility, blood metabolites and ileal digesta viscosity in broiler chickens fed diets containing 5% tallow, in a completely randomized design with a 3×3 factorial arrangement and 4 replicates in each treatment, 360 day-old Ross male broiler chickens were used. The isocaloric and isonitrogenous starter and grower diets were fed ad libitum to chickens from 0-21 and 21-42 days of age, respectively. Feed intake (FI), body weight gains (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was measured for starter (7-21d) and grower periods (21-42 days of age). Chromic oxide at the rate of 3 g/kg was added to experimental diets to determine fat digestibility at 19-21 and 40-42 days of age. Serum cholesterol (Chol), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and ileal digesta viscosity were measured at 21 and 42 days of age. Addition of DOB significantly increased BWG during 7 to 42d of age and FCR during 7 to 21 was improved. Although fat digestibility significantly increased by supplemental 0.50% DOB and 0.15% OA in the starter period, no interaction was observed between dietary DOB and OA for these parameters. Dietary OA had no effect on blood parameters, but supplemental 0.50% DOB significantly increased blood chemistry. Interaction between DOB and OA showed an increasing effect in Chol and TG at 42 days of age. Digesta viscosity was remained unchanged by dietary treatments. The results of this study indicated that supplementation of DOB in the diet significantly increased BWG and measured blood metabolites. Dietary supplementation of DOB increased fat digestibility of the birds fed diet containing 5% tallow.