Comparison of three different diets for organic broilers: effects on performance and body condition

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Poultry Nutrition
• Sustainable Agriculture

Background:

• Organic broiler production faces challenges in meeting nutritional requirements with 100% organic feedstuffs.
• Previous organic feed formulations often contained up to 20% non-organic ingredients.
• Methionine content is a critical factor in broiler growth and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of 100% organic feed for broiler chickens.
• To compare the performance and cost-effectiveness of 80%, 95%, and 100% organic feed diets.
• To assess the impact of organic feed composition on broiler health and meat production.

Main Methods:

• Three groups of 500 broilers were fed starter diets with 80%, 95%, or 100% organic ingredients from 0-3 weeks.
• Birds were subsequently fed finisher diets of corresponding organic content in outdoor pens.
• Growth performance, feed intake, body weight, breast blister incidence, and production costs were measured.

Main Results:

• Broilers fed 100% organic feed exhibited lower body weight and slower growth rates, primarily due to reduced feed intake.
• A higher incidence of breast blisters was observed in broilers consuming 95% and 100% organic feeds compared to 80% organic feed.
• The cost per kg live weight for 100% organic feed was 5.4% higher than for 80% organic feed.

Conclusions:

• A 95% organic feed diet demonstrated superior broiler performance compared to a 100% organic feed diet in this study.
• The lower methionine content in the 100% organic feed likely contributed to reduced performance.
• While 95% organic feed yielded results comparable to 80% organic feed, it resulted in a higher occurrence of breast blisters.