Scientific references pertaining to increased requirements

of choline chloride in broiler diets

Poult Sci. 1980 May;59(5):1073-81.

Choline/methionine nutrition of starting broiler chicks. Three models for estimating the choline
requirement with economic considerations.

Pesti GM, Harper AE, Sunde ML.

Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that metabolically labile methyl groups and not
methionine per se are limiting the growth of starting broiler chicks fed corn-soy-grease diets formulated
to meet NRC (1977) recommendations (except for methionine). The basal diet contained approximately
23% protein, 3200 kcal ME/kg. 32% methionine, .42% cystine, and 1300 ppm choline. In the first two
experiments the diets were fed to quadruplicate lots of 10 chicks in battery brooders. Average weight gain
(g) and feed per unit gain for supplements of methyl group sources were: 1) methionine: 424, 1.48; 2)
choline Cl: 406, 1.49; and 3) betaine HCl: 416, 1.48. These values were not significantly different from
one another (P greater than .05) but were significantly different (P less than .05) from the values for the
basal (362, 1.57) and from the DL-homocystine supplemented groups (376, 1.56). This indicated that
methyl group utilization was not impaired by a lack of the carbon skeleton of methionine. Five 3-week
assays with five groups of 10 chicks per treatment (1050 chicks) were conducted to determine the
choline requirement using the basal diet without supplemental methionine. Results from the five
assays were pooled in computing regressions. Significant regressions (P less than .05) were found for
broken-line linear (R2 = .630), quadratic (R2 = .556), and saturation kinetic (R2 = .642) models. The
requirement was determined to approximately 2130 ppm by the broken-line linear model. The most
economic feeding levels were estimated to be 4100 and 1910 ppm by the quadratic and saturation
kinetic models, respectively. The economic implications of the three models are discussed.
Effect of supplemental methionine, choline and their combinations on the performance and
immune response of broilers
Authors: B.K. Swain; T.S. Johri
Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly
Source: British Poultry Science, Volume 41, Number 1, 15 March 2000 , pp. 83-88(6)
Abstract:

1. A study was conducted with broilers to find out the effect of addition of methionine (0·0, 1·5, 3·0 and
4·5 g/kg) and choline (0·0, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg) to a basal diet containing crude protein, 221 g/kg, ME,
12·25 MJ/kg, methionine, 3·6 g/kg and choline, 1300 mg/kg. 2. Supplemental levels of methionine and
choline were found to be ineffective in improving the growth, food consumption and food conversion
efficiency of broilers. 3. However, a higher value for leucocyte migration inhibition was observed in
chicks fed on the diet containing 6·5 g/kg methionine and 1300 mg/kg choline, indicating a significantly
improved cellular immune response. 4. HI test and ELISA indicated enhanced antibody titres in chicks
receiving 3·0 g/kg methionine and 3300 mg/kg choline, showing a significantly better humoral immune
response. 5. Methionine and choline should be supplemented at levels higher than the recommended level
of BIS for better health and production in chicks.

Choline Utilization in the Chick as Influenced By Levels of Dietary Protein and

Methionine

Bruce A. Molitoris1 and David H. Baker

Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801

Four assays with crystalline amino acid diets were conducted to investigate the effect of an excess of
either dietary methionine or a balanced amino acid mixture on the young chick's requirement for dietary
choline. The effects of choline level, excess methionine, or excess amino acids on whole body
composition were also measured. Excess methionine at levels of two or three times the chick's
requirement for maximal growth had no effect on the dietary requirement for choline or on the activity of
liver choline oxidase. The addition of a balanced amino acid mixture to provide all amino acids at levels
twice the chick's requirement, however, increased the choline requirement markedly. Liver choline
oxidase activity was again unaffected. The addition of 0.35% excess methionine was without effect on
body composition, but the excess mixture of amino acids increased percent body protein and decreased
percent body fat and energy retention. Dietary choline concentration had essentially no effect on body
composition, and neither dietary choline nor the mixture of excess amino acids influenced the
concentration of total body choline. The results of these studies indicate that excess dietary protein, but
not methionine, increases the young chick's choline requirement and that dietary alterations do not alter
the concentration of body choline.

Title: Effects of dietary choline level on the performance of broilers.

Personal Authors: Shen Hong, Huo QiGuang

Author Affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Beijing Agricultural College, Beijing 102206,
China.

Document Title: Chinese Journal of Animal Science

Abstract:

In a study on the effects of dietary choline level on performance, 360 broiler chicks, 1 day old, half males
and half females, were randomly divided into 36 groups, 10 chicks per group, assigned to 9 treatments, 4
replicates per treatment, and fed on 2 diets; one was a practical diet (S) composed of maize-soyabean
meal containing choline 1350 mg/kg to which choline was added in the form of choline chloride at 0, 500,
1000 or 1500 mg/kg; the other was a semi-homogeneous diet (B) composed of maize-soyabean meal-
casein containing choline 850 mg/kg, to which choline 0, 500, 1000, 1500 or 2000 mg/kg, respectively,
was added. Test chicks were raised in cages at 34°C at the beginning, the temperature reduced by 3° each
week to 25° on the 21st day. Chicks in the S diet groups had significantly higher daily gain and feed
conversion rate than the B diet groups. Their hepatic fat content did not differ between treatments but
hepatic content decreased with increase in dietary choline level. It is concluded that choline chloride
supplementation can improve the production performance of broilers, the optimum dose being >1000
mg/kg.

Choline Chloride - Dietary Requirements of Broilers

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/271/choline-the-rediscovered-vitamin-for-poultry

Choline chloride is a common supplement to poultry feed. However, published dietary requirements are
based on studies several decades old and there has been significant change both in feed formulation and
bird performance since these requirements were established. Hence, recent studies have sought to re-
establish the requirements for choline chloride supplementation of broiler diets.

Emmert and Baker (1997), using a choline-deficient basal diet, showed an almost linear response to
incremental addition of choline chloride up to 1115 mg/kg feed in chicks from 10-22 days of age (Figure
1). Increasing choline chloride to 2000 mg/kg resulted in further weight gain improvements, but to a
lesser extent. Levels in excess of this had no benefit. This study is of particular interest since the diet was
treated to ensure inhibition of de novo choline synthesis. The growth responses were therefore directly
related to the dietary choline chloride supplement, assumed to be 100 % bioavailable. The influence of
natural choline and the uncertainty of the bioavailability of the latter were thus negated.

Another recent study (INRA, 1997) has examined the response to dietary choline chloride
supplementation (0, 400, 800, 1600 mg/kg) in broilers grown to commercial weights with typical
corn/soybean meal based diets. Feed conversion was maximised at the 800 ppm level, improving from
1.71 (no addition) to 1.66 kg feed/kg gain. At this level of supplementation starter and grower diets
contained 2100 and 1900 mg/kg of choline chloride equivalent respectively. These concentrations are
consistent both with the levels used in the trials of Emmert and Baker (1997) and an earlier INRA study
(1987), and with the recommendation of Larbier and Leclerque (1982) to add 500-600 mg choline
chloride per kg feed.

The economics of these responses (using INRA; 1997 data) can be calculated thus:

1000 kg of liveweight gain requires 1710 kg feed at a feed conversion rate of 1.71 (no added choline
chloride)

1000 kg of liveweight gain requires 1660 kg feed at a feed conversion rate of 1.66 (addition of 800 ppm
choline chloride )

therefore 50 kg of feed is saved per ton of body weight gain by adding approximately 1.33 kg choline
chloride (calculated as 100 %).

(This calculates out to 2.52 kgs of Choline chloride 60% on corn cob)
Field trial conducted by
Jubilant Organosys Limited 2009

Name of Farm owner : Mr. Rajinder Reddy

Address : Kalvakurthi; Mahboobnagar, A.P.
Date of trial : June 2009
Bird strain : Cobb 400
Chick Source : Lakshmi Sharda Hatcheries; Hyderabad

(In the month of May, mortality % was 18% and for 1.45 Kg B WT FCR was 2.1)

SHED A B C D
(control) (T1) (T2) (T3)
Chick In (nos) 13142 14156 12121 11652
Chick Out (nos) 12880 13896 11817 11416
Mort (nos) 262 260 304 236
Mort (%) 2.0 1.8 2.5 2.0
Total Feed Consumed (kgs) 50900 55475 47005 46750
Total Lifted live weight (kgs) 25695.6 28000.4 23870.3 23916.5
Avg Live weight/Bird (kgs) 1.995 2.015 2.02 2.095
FCR 1.98 1.98 1.97 1.95
Production Cost (Rs/Kg) 47.5 47.5 47.3 46.6
Choline Dosage Level (60%) 1 1.3 1.5 2
KG/MT KG/MT KG/MT KG/MT
Cost Saving (Rs/Kg) Over T1 0.09 0.23 0.90
Net Saving/Flock (Rs) 2,539.00 5,531.00 21,609.30

The above trial demonstrates

a) There is a linear relationship between choline levels in feed and the production performance
of broilers (up to 2 kgs)

b) Substantial increase in the rate of incorporation of choline (from 1 kg) is more beneficial
than incremental increase.