Production efficiency, nutrient digestibility, and meat quality of broilers reared on different fat sources and emulsifiers

Two fat sources, soybean oil (SO) and refined poultry oil (RPO), and 4 emulsifiers (control, lysolecithin, lysophospholipid, and bile acids) were used in this experiment. Thirteen hundred and sixty (1360) birds (ROSS -308) were divided into 8 groups having 5 replicates, 34 birds in each. Energy efficiency, feed conversion (FCR), and protein efficiency ratios were improved in birds receiving SO than RPO diets. Weight gain, FCR, feed intake, and dressing percentage were increased in broiler birds receiving bile acid than those given lyso-phospholipid and lysolecithin (p < 0.05). Cooking loss was greater (p < 0.05) in broiler birds given RPO than those fed SO. Birds receiving bile acid had greater (p < 0.05) water holding capacity of chest meat than other fat emulsifiers. Bile acids in broiler diet presented higher (p < 0.05) digestibility of crude protein and ether extract as compared to other treatments. Bile acid supplemented diets had a minimum (p < 0.05) cost of production per kg live weight than other fat emulsifiers. Therefore, the use of bile acids with RPO diets can increase nutrient digestibility, growth performance, meat quality, and economic efficiency in broiler production systems.