Food Waste Product for Overcoming Heat Stress in Broilers

Broiler farms in tropical areas have to deal with heat stress. Dried rice, a waste recycle product cheaper than corn, contains resistant starch that is mostly excluded from calorie-emanating metabolism yet advantageous for digestion. This study analyzes its potential to function as heat stress suppressor. Employing completely randomized design of three treatments in five repetitions, variables observed were panting frequency, heart weight, and blood profiles (leukocyte, heterophile, lymphocyte, and H:L ratio). The data gained were run through ANOVA, followed by LSD. T1 was of 100 % basal feed, T2 20 % dried rice spread atop 80 % basal feed, and T3 20 % dried rice thoroughly mixed with 80 % basal feed. The lowest panting frequency was of T2 (2.7 s −1 ), significantly different from T3 (2.9 s−1 ) and T1 (3.1 s −1 ). The lowest heart weight was also of T2 (0.44 mg 100 g −1 ), followed by T3 (0.49 mg 100 g −1 ) and T1 (0.57 mg 100 g −1 ). As of blood properties, the lowest H:L ratio was of T1 (0.22), significantly different from T3 (0.47) and T2 (0.59). To sum it up, dried rice is influential in relieving heat stress in broiler.