Effects of different dietary crude protein levels on growth performance and serum biochemical indices in African ostrich chicks
WANG Xiaohan
LI Shuo
WANG Zhe
CHANG Xiyao
CHEN Saijuan
WANG Fengxia
Abstract：This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of different dietary crude protein levels on the growth performance and serum biochemical indices of African ostrich chicks.A total of 120 healthy 45-day-old African ostrich chicks with similar initial body weights were selected and randomly divided into five groups,with six replicates per group and four chicks per replicate.Groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ,and Ⅴ were fed diets with crude protein levels of 16.50%,18.00%,19.50%,21.00%,and 22.50%,respectively.The pre-test period was seven days,and the formal test period was 35 days.The results showed that the average daily gain(ADG)of Group Ⅳ was extremely higher than that of the other groups(P<0.01).The feed-to-gain ratio(F/G)of Group Ⅴ was extremely higher than that of the other groups(P<0.01),while Group Ⅳ had the lowest F/G,which was significantly or extremely lower than that of the other groups(P<0.05 or P<0.01).On day 35,Group Ⅳ exhibited the highest values for body measurement indices,body length,neck length and leg length were significantly greater than that of Group Ⅴ(P<0.05),body height was significantly greater than that of Group Ⅱ(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed in body width and cannon bone circumference among the groups(P>0.05).Body weight showed a extremely positive correlation with all body measurement traits(P<0.01),with the highest correlation coefficient observed for neck length(0.800).Serum total cholesterol(TC)content in Group Ⅴ was significantly or extremely lower than that in the other groups(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while no significant differences were found in other serum biochemical indices among the groups(P>0.05).The study shows that Group Ⅳ demonstrated the best growth performance and normal metabolic status,confirming 21.00%as the optimal dietary crude protein level for ostrich chicks.
Keywords：ostrich chickscrude protein levelsgrowth performancebody measurement indicesserum biochemical indices
Publication Date：2026-01-28
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-20(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 40-45 )