Effect of dietary fat in summer season on performance and cost efficiency in broilers [Einfluss des futterfetts im sommer auf die mastleistung und die wirtschaftlichkeit von broilern]

This study was carried out to determine comparatively the effects of different dietary vegetable oils and tallow on body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and on cost efficiency in broilers. Four different fats (sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil and tallow) were supplemented to diets at a level of 6%. Diets were fed to 360 male-female mixed Ross 308 broilers divided into four groups containing 90 chicks each. Body weight of the sunflower oil group was significantly highest (P < 0.001). The tallow group consumed significantly more feed (P < 0.001). Compared to the other groups, the addition of soybean oil to the diet improved feed conversion ratio significantly (P < 0.001). High environmental temperature resulted in high inside temperature (31-35°C) and inside relative humidity (41-60%). By this the heat stress in broilers was increased. The highest gross margin was recorded in the sunflower oil group. The results of the experiment indicate that the use of different vegetable oils rather than tallow improves fattening performance of broilers under the difficult climatic conditions in the semi-arid areas of Turkey.