Performance, carcass quality, serum biochemistry, and stress resilience in broilers supplemented with chromium picolinate and lemon peel powder during hot-humid summer.

Summary

This field trial evaluated the efficacy of chromium picolinate and lemon peel powder supplementation in mitigating heat stress responses in 288 broiler chicks during hot-humid summer conditions. The combined supplementation of chromium picolinate (1 mg) and lemon peel powder (2 g) significantly improved body weight, whilst increasing dietary inclusion of both supplements reduced the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and serum corticosterone concentrations, suggesting potential stress-mitigating effects. Chromium picolinate alone significantly reduced serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, though feed conversion efficiency was not significantly improved by any treatment.

Regional applicability

These findings are most directly applicable to broiler production systems in tropical and subtropical regions experiencing hot-humid summer conditions, such as parts of India, rather than to United Kingdom climates. Whilst United Kingdom broiler producers may benefit from understanding chromium and citrus peel supplementation strategies, heat stress is not typically a limiting production challenge in temperate UK summers, limiting the immediate practical applicability of the stress-mitigation findings to UK poultry farming.

Key measures

Body weight, feed conversion ratio, serum protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, corticosterone levels

Outcomes reported

The study measured body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, serum biochemistry (protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, triglycerides), immune stress indicators (heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), and corticosterone levels in heat-stressed broilers supplemented with chromium picolinate and lemon peel powder.

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