Alleviating Gizzard Erosion with Hepasan

English

Following reports of massive gizzard erosion in chicken resulting from the use of particular sources of fishmeal, an experiment was conducted to test the efficacy of a multivitamin preparation, Hepasan@, in preventing the condition. The fishmeal used for the experiment was suspected to have caused the condition in a flock of broiler chickens. Three levels of Hepasan@(0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 0/0) were incorporated in diets and fed to 9-week-old broilers for a period of 6 weeks. Birds which died during the experiment were autopsied and scored for gizzard erosion. At the end of the experiment, all broilers were killed by cervical dislocation and scored for gizzard erosion. Growth rate was generally unaffected by the use of the preparation, although' there was non-significant trend towards a reduction in the incidence of gizzard erosion through the use of Hepasan

Boa-Amponsem, K.; Osei-Somuah, A.