GROWTH-PERFORMANCE, CARCASS COMPOSITION, AND PIGMENTATION OF BROILERSFED SUPPLEMENTAL NICKEL

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of supplemental Ni on growth performance, carcass composition, and pigmentation of broile rs. In Experiment 1, female broilers (n = 120) were housed in individu al cages from 21 to 49 d of age and fed a commercial finisher diet tha t contained 2.4 +/- .1 ppm Ni. Supplementation of this diet with 6 or 12 ppm NiCl2 did not affect growth performance or carcass composition. In Experiment 2, female broilers (n = 60) housed in individual cages were fed finisher diets with 44 or 77 ppm xanthophyll and 0 or 12 ppm supplemental NiCl2. Growth performance from 21 to 49 d of age was not altered by diet. At 49 d of age, serum xanthophyll concentration as we ll as amount of lutein and total xanthophylls in skin were higher (P l ess-than-or-equal-to .01) in broilers fed 77 ppm xanthophyll. Suppleme ntal NiCl2 decreased (P less-than-or-equal-to .1) yellow color of carc asses from broilers fed 44 ppm xanthophyll and increased yellow color of carcasses from broilers fed 77 ppm xanthophyll. Abdominal fat yeild s and concentration of total xanthophylls in skin followed a similar p attern, suggesting that supplemental NiCl2 may have indirectly influen ced pigmentation by altering fat deposition. These data indicated that an adequate level of Ni was present in the basal diet to promote opti mal growth performance and carcass quality.