Vol. 9, Issue 12, Part F (2025)

This study evaluated the effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation at the rate of 600 g/tonne on nutrient retention, carcass characteristics, serum biochemical profile, and breast muscle creatine in commercial broiler chickens fed meat and bone meal (MBM) based diets. A total of 96 day-old Vencobb 430Y chicks were randomly assigned into three treatments with four replicates of eight birds each: Control T₁ (Corn-Soya MBM diet); T₂ (Corn-Soya MBM diet + GAA), and T₃ (Corn-Soya MBM diet with 50 kcal/kg reduced ME + GAA). At the end of 42 days, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen and calcium balance remained statistically comparable among treatments (p>0.05), whereas phosphorus excretion increased in reduced metabolizable energy (ME) with GAA (T₃) fed broilers (p<0.05). Carcass traits revealed significantly higher dressing percentage in GAA-supplemented birds (T₂), while abdominal fat, giblet percentage, and breast muscle yield showed no significant variation. Serum creatinine, SGPT, SGOT, and total protein remained within normal physiological ranges, though glucose was significantly affected (p<0.05). Breast muscle creatine concentration was significantly higher in both GAA supplemented treatments groups with or without reduced energy level than the control (p<0.05). Overall, GAA supplementation at 600 g/tonne improved dressing yield and breast muscle creatine deposition without compromising nutrient utilization or serum parameters in broilers fed MBM-based diets.