Effect of supplementing magnesium picolinate in drinking water on growth performance, meat quality and cecal E. coli of broiler reared under tropical conditions

The effect of Mg supplementation in drinking water was evaluated on the growth performance, carcass quality, meat quality and cecal E. coli level of Broilers reared under Tropical Conditions. A sample of 192 male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were divided into 2 groups (each group consisting of 8 replicates of 12 chicks each) as: 1) control group, without Mg supplementation in the drinking water; and 2) Drinking Mg group, 10 mg of Mg/L was added into 1 L of their drinking water. It was shown that supplementing Mg in the drinking water significantly reduced body weight (P = 0.04) and tended to decrease feed intake (P = 0.08) between 1-21 days of age, and significantly reduced water intake (P = 0.02) and tended to reduce body weight (P = 0.06) between 21-35 days of age. For the overall period (1-35 days), water intake significantly decreased (P = 0.02) and the mortality rate tended to increase (P = 0.06) when Mg was supplemented in the drinking water. Carcass and meat quality were not significantly influenced by Mg supplementation. Furthermore, the E. coli population in the caecum was not significantly changed by the supplementation. In conclusion, supplementing Mg in drinking water at 10 mg/L showed negative effects on growth performance due to the reduction of water intake but had no significant effects on carcass and meat quality nor on E. coli in the caecum.