Duplicate 42-d broiler studies were conducted in pens with litter on the fl
oor, beginning with 1-d-old chicks obtained from a commercial hatchery. Sev
en replicate pens, each starting with 12 male and 12 female chicks, receive
d each dietary treatment in a randomized-block design. Dietary treatments c
omprised 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5% unhydrolyzed vegetable sucrose poly
ester (UVSP) added to the starting and finishing diets at the expense of fi
ller.
In both studies, up to 2.5% UVSP did not have a significant negative effect
on body weights, daily feed intake, feed conversion, or litter moisture. I
n Experiment 2, average body weights were significantly greater than contro
l for groups that received 0.5, 2.0, or 2.5% UVSP. However, the degree of s
hank yellowness as measured with a Minolta Chroma-meter was consistently an
d significantly reduced by 0.5% or more UVSP. Although xanthophyll levels w
ere intentionally lowered somewhat to improve sensitivity (7.9 and 9.6 mg/k
g for starter and finished feeds, respectively), it is obvious that the uti
lization of xanthophyll was reduced somewhat by UVSP. Additional pigment ti
tration trials could provide valuable information about the levels required
to overcome this effect.