• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary thyroid hormone (T$_3$and T$_4$) on growth, feed conversion ratio and serum T$_3$or T$_4$concentration of broiler chicks. Zero to six week-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated into seven treatment groups for feeding trials with three replication : control, T$_3$(0.1), T$_3$(1.0), T$_3$(5.0), T$_4$(0.1), T$_4$(1.0), T$_4$(5.0) ppm group. Concentrations of T$_3$and T$_4$in serum were analyzed. The weight gain of T$_3$(1.0), T$_3$(5.0) and T$_4$(5.0) groups were significantly lower than that of control. No statistically significant adverse effect was observed in other groups (p〉0.05). Feed intake was significantly lower in T$_3$(0.1, 1.0 and 5.0) and T$_4$(5.0) than in control group (p〈0.05), and the feed conversion ratio had a similar trend to the feed intake change. The contents of liquid and abdominal fat pad in carcass were significantly decreased in all T$_3$and T$_4$groups (p〈0.05). T$_3$and T$_4$concentration in serum was significantly increased at over 1.0ppm of the hormone supplementation level. As T$_3$addition level increased, T$_4$concentration in serum reduced ; however, T$_3$in serum was directly proportional during fasted were slightly increased when T$_3$or T$_4$was added to broiler diets.