EVALUATING THE USE OF CITRIC ACID AS AN ECO-FRIENDLY SUPPLEMENT IN BROILER DIETS

Due to the adverse effects of using antibiotics in poultry feed, the European Union has authorized the use of organic acids as alternative feed additives. This study aimed to determine the effect of supplementation with an organic acid (citric acid) for a period of 35 days on body weight, feed efficiency, carcass yield, and immune status of broilers. Two hundred and forty unsexed one-day-old Indian River (IR) broiler chicks were randomly split into four groups; each group contained 60 chicks, with three replicates of 20 chicks under the same management conditions. The basal starter, grower, and finisher diets were supplemented with 0% (control), 0.15%, 0.30%, and 0.45% citric acid. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, and feed conversion ratio were recorded. European productivity and the performance index (PI) were also computed. Data were analyzed statistically using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test to identify significant differences among treatments (P < 0.05). The results showed that, compared to other treatments, chicks fed diets supplemented with 0.15% and 0.30% citric acid had the lowest feed consumption, highest body weight, and best feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). Compared to the control diet, citric acid supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the performance index (PI). Additionally, citric acid supplementation had a significant (P < 0.05) positive impact on dressing percentage, giblets, and certain immunological organ weights at 35 days of age compared to the control group. It can be concluded that adding 0.15% citric acid to Indian River chicks’ diets positively affects productivity.