Effect of adding different levels of L - Carnitine to the diets of guinea fowls females on certain blood biochemistry traits

Abstract

This study was conducted at the Poultry Farm of Department of Animal Resource, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad during the period from 15 / 2 / 2011 to 1 / 8 / 2011. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with different levels of carnitine on productive performance of guinea fowl.A total of 72 guinea fowl, 30 weeks of old were used in this study. Birds were randomly distributed into 4 treatment groups (C0, C100, C200, C300) which is added to the diets carnitine levels 0, 100, 200, 300 mg Carnitine / kg diet. Birds were fed during the whole period of birds rearing which lasted 22 weeks on diet contain 18.38 % crude protein and 2962.1 Kcal metabolic energy / Kg. L-carnitine was added to the diets of birds at the beginning of 34 weeks of birds age till the end of experiment which lasted 18 weeks including 2 weeks which considered as preliminary carnitine treatment period. Guinea fowl were reared during experimental period in separated cages.The resulted Showed significant improvement (P<0.05) or (P<0.01) in concentration of total protein and the activity of the enzyme ALP in the serum, and significant low in the concentrations of cholesterol and glucose and activity of the ALT and AST in favor of L - carnitine treatment when comparison with a control.Conclude from this study that the addition of carnitine to the diets of Guinea fowl is working to improve the blood biochemistry characteristics of these birds.