Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two types of finisher diets differed in metabolizable energy (ME) level, but formulated to be iso-nitrogenous, on certain blood lipid profile and some productive traits of broiler chickens from 3 to 7 wks of age. The relationship, as correlation coefficients, among these traits were studied. Birds fed high (ME) diet showed heavier body weight (BW), better feed conversion ratio (FCR), higher dressing and fat pad percentages with more observed fat depots. Serum biochemical parameters for the birds of the two dietary treatments showed that birds fed high (ME) diet, 3200 Kcal / Kg, had higher values of total triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and high density lipoprotein – cholesterol (HDL-C) than their counterparts fed lower (ME) diet, 3070 Kcal / Kg. However low density lipoprotein – cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein – cholesterol (VLDL-C) values were relatively similar in the two treatment groups. Regarding the relationship analysis among some productive traits, a significant (P≤0.05) positive correlation coefficient was found between (BW) and fat pad percentage at 49-days of age for both groups. Moderate relationship values were found between (BW) and (TG). On the other hand, fat pad percentage and (TG) correlation values were 0.721 and 0.297 for the high (ME) and the low (ME) dietary treatments, respectively. (VLDL-C) value was shown to be so consistent in both groups of birds with a significant (P≤0.05) positive correlation with (TG).