Superior growth performance in broiler chicks fed chelated compared to inorganic zinc in presence of elevated dietary copper

Table 2 Effects of Zn sources and CuSO₄ on growth performance and tibia Zn in broilers (Experiment 1)¹

Cu levels, mg/kg	Zn Source, 30 mg/kg	D7 BW, g/bird	D21 BW, g/bird	Gain, g/bird	Feed Intake, g/bird	Feed:gain	Mortality, %	Ash based tibia Zn, mg/kg²
8	ZnSO₄	83	465^a	382^b	523	1.372	2.78	148
250	ZnSO₄	78	407^b	328^c	456	1.389	1.39	158
8	Zn(HMTBa)₂	77	481^a	404^a	569	1.407	5.55	170
250	Zn(HMTBa)₂	78	467^a	390^ab	528	1.355	2.78	150
SEM		2	8	7	13	0.027	2.26	14
Main effect means
Cu level
	8	79	473	393	546^a	1.390	4.167	159
	250	78	437	359	492^b	1.372	2.083	154
Zn source
	ZnSO₄	80	436	355	489^b	1.381	2.083	153
	Zn(HMTBa)₂	77	474	397	548^a	1.381	4.165	160
	2x2 factorial arrangement, P value
Zn sources		--	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.980	0.368	0.597
Cu level		--	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.515	0.367	0.722
Zn Source * Cu level		--	0.012	0.011	0.334	0.208	0.762	0.298

¹A total of 288 ROSS 308 male birds were used, with six cages per treatment and 12 birds per pen
²Tibias were collected from one bird per pen, total of six birds per treatment
^a,b,cMeans within a column with no common superscripts differ (P < 0.05)

ISSN: 2049-1891