Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Research and Technology Institute of Plant Production (RTIPP), Afzalipour Research Institute and Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman
2 Research and Technology Institute of Plant Production (RTIPP), Afzalipour Research Institute, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
Abstract
Background and objective: Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a strategic crop that has received considerable attention in recent years because of its medicinal and nutritional value. Given limited protein and water resources, safflower varieties are improved to enhance drought resistance and increase seed and oil yields. Incorporating these cultivars into broiler diets may improve production performance, reduce foreign exchange expenditures associated with feed imports, and contribute to food security. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different inclusion levels of modified safflower seeds and meal (Fakhereh variety), compared with the corresponding inclusion levels of the commercial variety (Goldasht), as partial replacements for soybean meal on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality parameters of broiler chickens.
Methodology: In total, 420 mixed-sex Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to seven experimental treatments, with five replicates of 12 birds per treatment, from 15 to 42 days of age. The experimental treatments were as follows: (1) a corn- and soybean meal-based diet (control); (2) a basal diet containing 10% modified safflower seeds; (3) a basal diet containing 20% modified safflower seeds; (4) a basal diet containing 10% modified safflower meal; (5) a basal diet containing 20% modified safflower meal; (6) a basal diet containing 10% commercial safflower seeds; and (7) a basal diet containing 20% commercial safflower seeds. Environmental conditions, including lighting and temperature, were controlled in accordance with the recommendations provided by the Ross 308 producer. Growth performance parameters, including feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio, were recorded weekly. The vaccination program was implemented in accordance with the recommendations of the local veterinarian. At 42 days of age, one broiler chicken per replicate was selected for slaughter to assess carcass characteristics and meat quality, resulting in five birds per treatment (n = 5). Carcass characteristics, including the relative weights of the eviscerated carcass, breast, thigh, and wings, were evaluated. Meat quality parameters, including water-holding capacity, pH, cooking loss, and drip loss, were also measured at 42 days of age. The data were analyzed using a completely randomized design and a general linear model (GLM) in Minitab (2016). Tukey’s test was used for pairwise comparisons at a significance level of 5%.
Results: Growth performance parameters, including average body weight gain, daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio, were not significantly affected by the experimental treatments during any of the experimental weeks or throughout the entire experimental period (P > 0.05). However, during the 22–28-day period, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio showed trends toward improvement in the groups receiving diets containing 10% modified safflower meal (Fakhereh variety) and 20% commercial safflower seeds (Goldasht variety), compared with the control group. Assessment of meat quality revealed that the pH of the thigh muscle in broilers fed a diet containing 10% modified safflower seeds of the Fakhereh variety was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The other meat quality parameters, including water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and drip loss, were not significantly affected by the experimental treatments (P > 0.05). Furthermore, carcass characteristics, including the relative weights of the eviscerated carcass, breast, thigh, and wings, did not differ significantly among the experimental treatments (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicated that including seeds or meal from different safflower cultivars at varying dietary levels did not significantly affect the growth performance, carcass characteristics, or meat quality parameters of broiler chickens. Therefore, including Fakhereh safflower seeds or meal at levels up to 20% in broiler diets does not appear to adversely affect growth performance, carcass characteristics, or meat quality under the conditions of the present study.
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