Effects of atmospheric hydrogen sulfide concentration on growth and meat quality in broiler chickens

A total of 384 commercial Arbor Acres broilers (one-half males and one-half females; 1 d of age) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments to study the effects of atmospheric hydrogen sulfide on growth performance, blood parameters, and meat quality. Each treatment was placed in a separate environmentally controlled chamber. Group A was the control group; no hydrogen sulfide was added to chamber A to maintain near 0 mg/kg of hydrogen sulfide from wk 0 to 6. Groups B, C, and D were trial groups that were subjected to 2, 4, and 8 mg/kg of hydrogen sulfide, respectively, from wk 0 to 3 and to 3, 6, and 12 mg/kg of hydrogen sulfide, respectively, from wk 4 to 6. The results showed that the average daily intake and BW decreased whereas feed:gain and concentration of hydrogen sulfide increased from wk 0 to 3. The number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and hematocrit increased slightly with increasing exposure to hydrogen sulfide, but no significant difference was found. The highly concentrated hydrogen sulfide (12 mg/kg) significantly decreased the yield of carcass and pH of leg and increased water loss rate of breast and leg. Therefore, the results suggest that hydrogen sulfide had a negative effect on the performance of broilers and that the suitable hydrogen sulfide concentration should be less than 2 mg/kg from 0 to 3 wk of age and less than 6 mg/kg from 3 to 6 wk of age for broiler production and health.