Effects of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and reduced vitamin D 3 level on broiler performance and bone quality

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two levels of vitamin D3 with or without 1,25- dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3) on live performance and bone quality of broiler chickens. For that, we used a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with eight replicates of 30 Cobb®500 male broiler chicks each (n = 960). The two levels of vitamin D3 and the addition or not of 0.5 μg 1,25(OH)2D3/kg were considered as main factors. The vitamin [...]