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The Effect of Corticosterone-Induced Stress on Amino Acid Digestibility in Ross Broilers^1,2

W. S. Virden^*, M. S. Lilburn, J. P. Thaxton^*, A. Corzo^*, D. Hoehler and M. T. Kidd^*,3

^* Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State 39759-9665; The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210; and Degussa Corporation, Kennesaw, GA 30144

³ Corresponding author: mkidd{at}poultry.msstate.edu

Two experiments (Exp.) were conducted to establish amino acid (AA) digestibility coefficients (DC) for broilers given corticosterone (CS)-induced stress using the apparent ileal digestibility assay. For Exp. 1, 192 Ross x Ross 708 male broilers were placed into 16 floor pens (12 birds/pen). For Exp. 2, 120 Ross x Ross 308 male broilers were placed into 10 floor pens (12 birds/pen). Pens contained nipple drinkers, pan feeders, and softwood shavings. Both experiments were completely randomized designs using pen as the experimental unit. In both experiments, chicks were given a common starter diet from d 1 to 20. From d 21 to 30, broilers were provided a control diet or the control + 15 mg of CS/kg of diet dissolved in soybean oil (8 and 5 replications/treatment in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively). Diets were based on corn (65.07%) and soybean meal (26.36%) and contained an indigestible marker (chromic oxide 0.3%). Diets were formulated to contain 3,175 kcal of ME, 18.5% CP, 0.79% digestible TSAA, and 1.00% digestible Lys. Stress validation was accomplished by measuring BW gain, feed intake, and liver weight on d 30. Evidence that stress occurred was apparent due to the fact that broilers fed CS had lower BW gain and higher liver weight than those fed control. On d 30, the ileal contents were removed from 3 birds/pen, pooled, dried, and analyzed for AA content. Amino acid DC were calculated using the following equation: DC = 100 –(dietary marker % x ileal AA %) / (ileal marker % x dietary AA %) x 100. Amino acid digestibility did not differ (P > 0.05) between treatments in either experiment. Based on this research, future research should be directed at establishing DC for other nutrients in stressed broilers or the effect of different nutrients on the stress response.

Key Words: stress • corticosterone • digestibility • amino acid • broiler

¹ This is Journal Article Number J-10967 from the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station supported by MIS-322230.

² Use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station of the products, nor similar ones not mentioned.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. S. Virden and M. T. Kidd Physiological stress in broilers: Ramifications on nutrient digestibility and responses J. Appl. Poult. Res., January 1, 2009; 18(2): 338 - 347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]