Effect of dietary inclusion of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and garlic (Allium sativum) powders as feed additives on performance of broiler chicken Chowdhary Sonali1, Khan Nazam2,*, Sharma R.K.3, Sasan Jasvinder Singh4, Mahajan Vikas2 1 M.V.Sc scholar, Division of Animal Nutrition, SKUAST-J, R.s. Pura, Jammu, India 2 Assistant Professor, Division of Instructional Livestock and Farm Complex, SKUAST-J, R.s. Pura, Jammu, India 3 Professor and Head, Division of Animal Nutrition, SKUAST-J, R.s. Pura, Jammu, India 4 Assistant Professor, Division of Veterinary Anatomy, SKUAST-J, R.s. Pura, Jammu, India *Corresponding author: E-mail: nazamdrkhan@gmail.com, Division of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-J, R.s. Pura, Jammu, India
Online published on 26 August, 2021. Abstract The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion of garlic, turmeric and their combinations on performance of broilers (Cobb strain). Two hundred and forty day-old unsexed broiler chicks were procured and randomly divided into five dietary treatment groups (n=48). Birds in control (C) group were administered antibiotic levofloxacin at 2.5 g/l of drinking water, however, antibiotic was replaced with dietary inclusion of either 1% turmeric (T1), 1% garlic (T2), 0.6% turmeric+0.4% garlic (T3), or 0.6% garlic+0.4% turmeric (T4). The diets formulated were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. The feeding trial was conducted for 6 weeks. The results revealed significantly (P<0.05) higher cumulative feed intake in group T3, while body weight gain (g) showed no difference (P>0.05) among groups. Feed conversion ratio was found to be better in groups T2 and T4. Protein efficiency ratio was found to be higher in group T2 (P<0.05). The villi length of duodenum; epithelial and glandular epithelial height of jejunum, glandular epithelial height and diameter of glands of ileum were higher (P<0.05) in group T2. The 1% garlic supplemented group showed the best cost benefit ratio. It was concluded that 1% garlic powder supplementation in the diet may substitute antibiotics without any adverse effect in broilers. Top Keywords Antibiotics, Broilers, Feed additives, Garlic, Turmeric. Top |