Effect of L-Carnitine and Yeast Chromium Supplementation on Productive Performance in Pekin and Sudani Duckling during Growth Period

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of L-carnitine and Yeast chromium supplementation on the productive performance of Pekin and Sudani duckling breeds. A total number of 450 both unsexed Pekin and Sudani ducklings (225 per each breed) one-day-old were investigated in the current study. The experimental period lasted 12 weeks of age. Experimental ducklings were randomly divided into the 5 equal treatments with 90 ducklings (45 number from both Pekin and Sudani ducklings per each). Each experimental treatment was randomly divided into 3 equal replicates of 30 ducklings (15 ducklings in each breed). The five experimental treatments were as follows: the first treatment was the control with basal diets, treatments 2 and 3 received basal diets supplemented with 300 and 450 mg/kg diet L-carnitine (LC), respectively, while treatments 4 and 5 received basal diets supplemented with 400 and 600 μg/kg diets Yeast chromium (Cr), respectively. The results indicated that growing duckling fed diets supplemented with LC and Cr were significantly improved in live body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. The relative weight of carcass quality and weight of lymphoid organs significantly increased with supplemented diets. Therefore, both duckling breeds fed on diets supplemented with 450 mg LC/kg resulted in better performance without any adverse effect on carcass quality as well as economic efficiency.