EFFECT OF SOME HERBAL FEED ADDITIVES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Prof. of Poultry Nutrition, Fac. of Agric., Menoufia Univ.

Abstract

The present experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of Moringa Oleifera Leaves powder on the performance, some blood serum components, some histomorphological measurements and economic efficiency of broiler chickens. A total of 225 Cobb unsexed one - day old broiler chicks, were distributed at random into 5 treatments each in 3 replicates, 15 chicks each. Moringa Oleifera leaves powder (MOL) was added at the levels of 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75% to low crud protein diet (LCP, 20 and 17%, negative control) compared to the normal crud protein (23 and 20%, positive control), respectively at the starter (1- 21 d) and at the finisher (22- 35d) period. 

Results indicated that, chicks fed the low crude protein diet supplemented with Moringa Oliefera leaves powder (MOL) had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher body weight, body weight gain, daily feed intake and performance index. Feed conversion ratio, European efficiency index and relative economic efficiency were also improved with the supplementation. Chicks fed low crude protein diet supplemented with 0.25 or 0.50% MOL have the highest dressing weight (1753 and 1738g) with no significant differences between them compared and increased serum total protein and glucose levels, while significantly decreased serum total cholesterol and aspartic transaminase (AST) enzyme compared to the other treatments with increasing the levels of MOL up to 0.50%.  Morphological sections of small intestine revealed that villi height, width and height: width ratios were increased by the supplementation of different levels of MOLM (0.25 and 0.50%) but not significant except in duodenum villi width and in the ration between height and width.
In general, the obtained results indicated that supplementation of 0.25% Moringa Oliefera Leaves, MOL can be used in broiler diets with low protein level to get the heaviest weight, best feed conversion, performance index, due to an increase in small intestinal absorption and activity. This, in turn, resulted in an increase in European efficiency index and economic efficiency under the experimental conditions.

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