Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition
Year : 2006, Volume : 23, Issue : 4
First page : ( 253) Last page : ( 255)
Print ISSN : 0970-3209. Online ISSN : 2231-6744.

Effect of dietary supplementation of ashwagandha on Japanese quails during summer

Choudhari A. J., Deshmukh G. B.*, Ramteke B. N., Zanzad A. A.

Department of Animal Nutrition, Nagpur Veterinary College, Nagpur-440006, India

*Correspondence author gb_deshmukh2005@rediffmail.com

Received:  2  June,  2006.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root powder on broiler quails during heat stress. Day-old broiler quail chicks (60) were distributed into 3 equal groups, control group was offered standard quail diet while the remaining groups were fed ashwagandha at 0.5 and 1% level in diet. Body weight increased significantly with ashwagandha supplementation. Feed consumption was less and feed efficiency was better in 0.5% ashwagandha supplemented group. The serum total proteins, serum albumin, serum globulim and A:G ratio did not differ due to dietary treatments. In haematological study, haemoglobin per cent, RBC and WBC count showed nonsignificant increase in ashwagandha treated groups. Heterophill and lymphocyte ratio was significantly increased in control group whereas treatment groups showed normal level as indicative of heat tolerance due to feeding of Ashwagandha in quails. It was concluded that dietary supplementation of ashwagandha root powder at 0.5% increased body weight, improved feed conversion ratio and dressing percentage in quail chicks and could be used as an antistress agent.

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Keywords

Ashwagandha, Growth performance, Carcass characteristics, Japanese quail.

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