BETAINE HYDROCHLORIDE AMELIORATES THERMOREGULATORY RESPONSES OF BROILER CHICKENS UNDER DEXAMETHASONE INDUCED HEAT STRESS

Abstract

A study was conducted to investigate the ameliorative effect of betaine hydrochloride under dexamethasone induced heat stress. A total of 300 day-old Arbor acre broiler chickens randomly assigned to five treatments in a completely randomized design were used in the study. The five treatments with three replicates (n= 20 birds/rep) made up of a treatment containing no dexamethasone and no betaine served as the control. Another treatment was fed 0.30% betaine only supplemented diets, with the other three treatments given daily dexamethasone concentrations at 1, 2 and 3 mg/L in water, respectively. All dexamethasone treated birds were fed 0.30% betaine HCl in their diets. Results indicated a decrease (P>0.05) in rectal temperature and respiratory rate with increasing dose of dexamethasone, especially with the betaine only group. Betaine HCl had a positive effect on thermoregulatory parameters of broiler chickens by ameliorating the negative effect of heat stress.