Effects of dietary boron supplementation on broilers

Two experiments were conducted with a total of 432 broiler chicks to investigate the influence of supplementing different amounts of boron to practical corn-soybean meal diets. The birds were housed in batteries and had free access to feed and water. In Experiment 1, 144 1-day-old broiler chicks were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 5, 40, 80, or 120 ppm boron for 21 days. Female body weight was not influenced by the dietary treatments. However, males supplemented with 5 ppm boron were heavier and their tibias resisted more load than the control birds. Overall feed conversion was not influenced by boron. In Experiment 2, 288 1-day-old broiler chicks were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 60, 120, 240, or 300 ppm boron for 22 days. Male and female body weights of the 300-ppm group were lower than those of the control birds. Percentage tibia ash was highest with 300 ppm boron. No significant differences were found in intestinal tract weight (grams of intestine per 100 g body weight) among treatments. Boron concentration in the breast muscle and liver increased as dietary concentration of boron increased. Data collected in these two experiments indicated that consumption of diets containing up to 240 ppm boron from hatch to 21 days of age was not detrimental to broiler performance. Data were not conclusive on the need for supplemental boron in broiler diets based on corn and soybean meal.