Abstract
Simple Summary Enhancing production of broilers in hot climates is essential to overcoming high-heat problems. High temperature during the summer season is one of the most influential factors affecting poultry production. Heat stress has long been identified as dampening growth performance and increasing vulnerability to diseases. Several methods have been used to alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress. One of these is the dietary fortification of betaine. Betaine (Trimethylglycine) naturally occurs in various plants, and it can be extracted from beetroot. The current experiment examined the effects of dietary betaine fortification on broiler chickens at 1-40 days of age. At 18 days of age, half of the birds were kept under thermos-neutral temperature (22-24 degrees C), while the other half were kept under high temperature (35 degrees C). The production efficiency factor was best (p < 0.05) for birds that received 0.10% betaine. Betaine fortification improved the growth, feed utilization, and production index. Betaine fortification at 0.1% betaine supplementation with an 84 g increase in growth, 4.6 points improvement in feed utilization, and 24 points enhancement in production index compared with no betaine fortification. Betaine fortification (0.1%) during heat stress reduced the negative impact on performance and improved production efficiency, suggesting that betaine may be as a practical tool for improving poultry production in hot regions. Improving broilers' production in the hot region is essential to overcome heat-stress challenges. The current experiment examined the effects of betaine's fortification (0.0, 0.075, 0.10, and 0.15%) to broiler chickens during days 1-40 of age. The growth period was divided into the starter (1-18 d) and growing-finishing (19-40 d). During the starter period, there was no heat challenge, and all birds were kept under the same conditions. At 18 days of age, half of the birds were kept under thermos-neutral temperature (TN, 22-24 degrees C), while the other half were kept under high temperature (HT, 35 degrees C). However, the production efficiency factor (PEF) was the best (p < 0.05) for birds that received 0.10% betaine. Betaine fortification improved (p < 0.05 and 0.01) body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and production efficiency factor (PEF) in the cumulative finisher heat-stress challenge period (19-40 d). The best performance was achieved at 0.1% betaine fortification with 84 g gain, 4.6 points improvement in FCR, and 24 points improvements in PEF as compared to no betaine fortification. The heat-stressed group consumed less feed (239 g), gained less weight (179 g), converted feed less efficiently (2.6 points), and, as a result, had lower FEF (29 points) as compared to the TN group. Conclusively, heat challenge had a powerful effect on growth performance, meat characteristics, and blood parameters, especially during the grower-finisher period. Betaine fortification (0.1%) during heat stress reduced the negative impact on performance and improved production efficiency, suggesting that betaine is a useful nutritional tool under stress conditions that deserves further investigation.