Performance and haemobiochemical profile of broilers fed on supplementation of shatavari (Asparagus racemosus willd.) root powder Rekhate D.H., Associate Professor, Ukey Smita, M.V.Sc. student, Dhok A.P., Research Associate Department of Animal Nutrition, Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Akola -444/04 (MS) (Maharashtra Animal & Fishery Sciences University, Nagpur). Abstract An experiment was conducted to asses the effect of shatavari (Asparagus racemosus witld.) root powder on the performance of broilers. Eighty day old chicks were randomly distributed in four treatments of two replications in each and reared up to 6 weeks of age on standard managemental conditions. The root powder of shatavari was added over the basal ration at 0.5% level (T), 1% level (T), 1.5% level (T.), where as the T, was control basal ration having CP 22% and ME 2900 Kcal/kg of feed. The average body weight sat 6th week of age for T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 1104.00 ± 61.96, 1256.50 ± 45.84, 1514.50 ± 33.28 and 1560.50 ± 38.43 g, respectively. The body weight gain and feed efficiency varied significantly (P<0.01) between the different treatments and found to be better with increasing level of shatavari root powder. The DM and CP digestibility for T1, T2, T3, T4 was 64.77 ± 0.67 and 55.45 ± 1.76, 65.59 ± 0.53 and 59.16 ± 1.62, 67.07 ± 0.26 and 60.12 ± 1.27, 67.17 ± 0.87 and 60.52 ± 1.25 per cent, respectively. The birds in all the treatments were in positive nitrogen balance. The blood biochemical profile revealed the significant (P<0.01) rise in haemoglobin, serum total protein and globulin. It was concluded that the supplementation of shatavari root powder has beneficial effects on body weight and feed conversion efficiency and also improves the general health status of birds. Top Key words Asparagus racemosus, broilers. Top |