• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.127-138
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• 2013

This study investigated the effects of feeding the broilers that are exposed to extreme heat stress (EHS, $33{\pm}2^{\circ}C$) with extreme heat stress diet (EHSD) containing adequate amount of soy oil and other nutrients on their growth performance. 500 broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomized into five dietary treatment groups according to a randomized block design on the day they were hatched. Each group was further divided into four repeat pens with each repeat pen comprising 25 chickens. The five dietary treatment groups were: T1 (Normal ambient condition + basal diet (BD), T2 (EHS +BCD), T3 (EHS + extreme heat stress diet (EHSD) prepared from BD with tallow replaced with soy oil and containing molasses 2%), T4 (EHS + EHSD prepared from BD with tallow replaced with soy oil and containing molasses 2% and methionine and lysine of 1.5 times greater quantities than in BD), and T5 (EHS + EHSD prepared from BD with tallow replaced with soy oil and containing molasses 2%, methionine and lysine of 1.5 times greater quantities than in BD, and vitamin C 200 ppm) with inverse lighting. The body weight gain of the broilers increased significantly in T4 and T5 as compared with that in T1 and T2. Weights of the lymphoid organ, bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen were similar between all groups. Serum concentrations of IgG, IgG and IgM were higher in T4 and T5 than inT1 and T2, but the corticosterone concentration decreased significantly in them. In T4 and T5, Lactobacillus in the cecum increased, but Escherichia, coliform, and total aerobic bacteria decreased rather significantly, compared with those in T1 and T2. Contents of acetic acid, propionic acid and total SCFA were significantly higher in T4 and T5 than in T1 and T2.