EVALUATION OF OYSTER MUSHROOM (Pleurotus ostreatus), GARLIC (Allium sativum L.), GINGER (Zingiber officinale R.) POWDERS AND THEIR MIXTURES IN DIETS OF BROILER CHICKENS AS NATURAL GROWTH PROMOTERS
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2018-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The study targeted evaluation of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), garlic (Allium sativium L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale R.) powders and their mixtures in broiler diets as natural growth promoters. Two separate experiments were conducted where the second trial was designed based on the results of the first trial. The first trial was conducted using 315 unsexed day-old broiler chicks of Cobb 500 strain which were divided randomly into seven groups (T1 till T7). Each represented a treatment (45 birds/treatment) with three replicates in a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatments were T1- Control, from T2 till T7 the diets contained 1% oyster mushroom powder (OMP), 2% OMP, 1% garlic powder (GAP), 2% GAP, 1% ginger powder (GIP) and 2% GIP, respectively. The second trial was conducted using 275 unsexed one day-old broiler chicks of Cobb 500 strain which were divided randomly into six groups. Each group represented a treatment (45 birds/treatment) with three replicates in a CRD. The first group (T1) fed on basal diets without antibiotic (negative control diet) and the second group (T2) fed on basal diets with antibiotic (0.30 g oxytetracycline/kg, positive control diet). The other groups from T3 till T6 were fed on basal diet containing different mixtures (0.5% OMP + 1% GAP), (0.5% OMP + 1% GIP), (1% GAP + 1% GIP) and (0.33% OMP + 0.66% GAP + 0.66% GIP), respectively. Daily feed intake (FI) and weekly body weight gain (BWG) were recorded and carcass evaluation was made. Blood hematological, serum biochemical data and fecal microbial counts were recorded. The results of the first trial showed that inclusion of 2% GIP improves FI (P<0.05), whereas, BWG (P<0.05) and FCR (P>0.05) were impaired due to inclusion of 2% OMP. Most of the carcass parameters considered were not significantly affected (P>0.05) showing that the herbs didn’t impair the development of the organs. Positive effects were observed for the values of RBCs (all except T3), TWBC (T4) and PCV (T5), whereas, the biochemical parameters measured were not affected. Profitability was the lowest for all herbal treatments. The results of the second trial showed that T4 and T5 significantly reduced FI (P<0.05). Phytogenic mixtures had no significant effect on BWG and FCR. Percent proportions of dressed carcass, eviscerated carcass and breast cuts were significantly (P<0.05) impaired for T6. Reduced abdominal fat % (P<0.05) was recorded for T2 and T3. Some of the blood parameters considered, (RBC, TWBC, PCV, MCV, MCH and MCHC) were not altered (P>0.05). T3, T5 and T6 exhibited hypocholesterolemic effect (P<0.05). The herbal mixture of GAP and GIP was superior over the antibiotics in lowering the number of total colony forming units (CFU) and Escherichia coli bacteria in the digesta of ileo-cecum (P<0.05) and also the FCR. From the economic point of view, the herbal mixtures were not as profitable as the controls. Generally sole treatments (treatment either with garlic or ginger) were not as beneficial as the mixture of the two herbs. From the current findings, it was concluded that oyster mushroom, garlic and ginger powders each at 1% inclusion level as well as all the four combinations of medicinal plants could be considered as potential growth promoters and the mixtures may also replace the antibiotics in broiler diets.
Description
PhD Thesis
Keywords
Biochemical, Broiler, Carcass characteristics, Feed additives