Studies on semduramicin and nutritional responses. 1. Level and source of protein

Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2772, USA. gpesti@arches.uga.edu

An experiment was conducted to determine whether feeding semduramicin at recommended levels (25 mg/kg) would affect the broiler chicken's response to dietary protein; and to determine whether protein source (all vegetable, corn and soybean meal, vs 12% high animal protein ingredients) would affect the response to semduramicin. Semduramicin was fed to half of 1,584 male Ross x Ross broilers in floor pens during the growing phase (18 to 35 d). Three protein fortification levels were also fed with protein and amino acid minimum restrictions at 80, 100, and 120% of NRC (1994) recommendations. At 35 d, semduramicin was found to cause a slight growth depression in body weight gain only when low protein levels were fed (P = 0.051). After a 7-d withdrawal period, compensatory gains occurred (P = 0.006) such that there was no interaction effect of semduramicin by protein level for 42-d body weight (P = 0.75). Birds fed the diets containing high animal protein were slightly heavier than those fed control diets containing all-vegetable protein (2.40+/-0.02 vs 2.36+/-0.01 kg/bird; P = 0.059). Semduramicin feeding did not affect feed consumption (2.43+/-0.03 vs 2.40+/-0.02 kg per bird during the growing period when it was fed) so that overall feed conversion ratios were identical to two decimal places (1.90+/-0.02 vs 1.90+0.02). Neither did semduramicin affect feathering score or weight of the No. 8 primary feather, except that feather weight tended to be improved by semduramicin feeding with the diets containing ingredients high in animal protein (P = 0.067).

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