EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF CHIVES AND GINGER ON THE PRODUCTIVITY AND HEALTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILERS

Abstract

This study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of ethanol extracts of chive (CE) and ginger (GE), and their combination (CG) in diets of broiler chickens on their growth, health performance and economic efficiency. Totally 180 male Egyptian broilers from one-day age were randomly assigned to 6 dietary treatments consisting of 3 replicates of 10 chicks each, of which in the diet of the control group (CT) neither ginger nor chive preparation were introduced, meanwhile the diets of birds in the 5 trial groups (CE1, CE2, GE1, GE2 and CG) were supplemented with 0.5% CE, 1% CE, 0.5% GE, 1% GE and 0.5% CE plus 0.5% GE preparations, respectively. In general, supplementation of CE and GE did not significantly affect feed consumption, mortality, performance efficiency index (PEI), and respiratory syndrome in chickens. However, the herb extract preparations could reduce the incidence of diarrhea in broiler chickens during five to-ten-week age periods. Microscopic examination of small intestinal mucosa showed that the heights of villi and the depths of crypts of chicks in the CE2 treatment as well as the diameters of villi of chicks in the CG treatment were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in the others. In general, supplementation of 1% CE and the combination of 0.5% CE and 0.5% GE preparations improved the growth performance of broilers, and the combination can be an alternative to antibiotics as growth promoters in feeding chicken.