This study was designed to evaluate the effects of dietary betaine supplementation at two levels (1.5 and 2.0 g/kg diet) on growth performance parameters of growing ducks during the first two weeks of age. A total of 150 healthy one- day-old Pekin ducks were randomly distributed into 3 experimental groups. Each group contained 5 replicates with 10 birds each. The first group received the standard diet with no supplementation, while the 2nd and 3rd groups received the standard diet supplemented with 1.5 and 2.0 g betaine per kg diet, respectively. The results showed that the live body weight (LBW) at the end of the first week was not significantly (P = 0.643) different among treatment groups. However, by the end of the second week, birds fed 2.0 g/kg betaine exhibited significantly (P = 0.039) higher LBW compared to the control group, with the 1.5 g/kg group showing intermediate values. Daily body weight gain (DBWG) during the first week was not affected (P = 0.361) by betaine supplementation. In contrast, during the second week (1–2 weeks), the 2.0 g/kg betaine group recorded the highest DBWG, which was significantly (P = 0.027) higher than the control group. Similarly, over the entire 0–2-week period, both betaine-treated groups had significantly greater (P = 0.029) DBWG compared to the control. Dietary betaine had no significant influence on daily feed intake (DFI) during 0-1 (P = 0. 200), 1-2 (P = 0. 400), and 0-2 (P = 0. 332) weeks of age. However, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved with betaine supplementation, particularly at 2.0 g/kg. While no significant differences were found during the first week (P = 0.232), the 2.0 g/kg group showed a significantly better FCR during the second week and the overall period compared to the control group (P = 0.025 and 0.048, respectively). In summary, dietary betaine, especially at 2.0 g/kg, enhanced growth performance and feed efficiency without affecting feed intake, suggesting its potential benefit in improving productivity of ducklings during the early growth phase.
Abd-Elwahab, A., Ismail, I. E., El-Kholy, M. S., & Mohamed, L. (2025). CONSEQUENCES OF ADDING BETAINE IN DUCKLINGS’ DIETS ON PERFORMANCE DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF AGE. Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research, 52(4), 897-905. doi: 10.21608/zjar.2025.451803
MLA
Abd-Alwahab A. Abd-Elwahab; I. E. Ismail; M. S. El-Kholy; Laila A. Mohamed. "CONSEQUENCES OF ADDING BETAINE IN DUCKLINGS’ DIETS ON PERFORMANCE DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF AGE", Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research, 52, 4, 2025, 897-905. doi: 10.21608/zjar.2025.451803
HARVARD
Abd-Elwahab, A., Ismail, I. E., El-Kholy, M. S., Mohamed, L. (2025). 'CONSEQUENCES OF ADDING BETAINE IN DUCKLINGS’ DIETS ON PERFORMANCE DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF AGE', Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research, 52(4), pp. 897-905. doi: 10.21608/zjar.2025.451803
VANCOUVER
Abd-Elwahab, A., Ismail, I. E., El-Kholy, M. S., Mohamed, L. CONSEQUENCES OF ADDING BETAINE IN DUCKLINGS’ DIETS ON PERFORMANCE DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF AGE. Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research, 2025; 52(4): 897-905. doi: 10.21608/zjar.2025.451803
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