Abstract

RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKS TO DIETARY COMBINATIONS OF FENNEL, SPEARMINT AND HALFA BAR ESSENTIAL OILS AS NATURAL FEED ADDITIVES

Safa Mohamme Elmobasher, Mukhtar Ahmed Mukhtar*, Safeia Alzubair and Daffalla A. Ali

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three essential oils with different main chemical structures, fennel seed oil, spearmint leaf oil and halfa bar oils (FSHMEOs), as natural feed additive, alternative to antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) on growth performances, slaughter, carcass value, serum metabolite, enzyme activities and economical appraisal, in broiler chickens. Ninety six seven-day-old unsexed commercial broilers of Cobb strain were randomly divided into four dietary groups A, B, C and D, comprising of three replicates in each group. Each replicate contained eight chicks, were distributed in a complete randomize design. Four dietary groups consisted of: A, basal diet (control; without essential oils); chicks on other group B, C and D were fed on control diet supplemented with mixed of (FSHMEOs) (200, 400 and 600mg/kg) respectively. The control diet was formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of broilers according to NRC (1994). Experimental rations were fed 5 weeks. The results showed that the addition of (FSHMEOs), showed no significant (p ≥0.05) differences between all tested groups in feed intake, body weight, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio, however, but cause improvement in chicks performance, no mortalities were recorded throughout the experimental period. The results also indicated that, the dressing percent, commercial cuts and their meat, showed no significant (p≥ 0.05) difference between all tested groups for all FSHMEOs levels, the result of serum enzyme and minerals values showed significant effect among all treated groups), the results of serum metabolite values of broiler chicks fed on different levels of(FSHMEOs) showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences in (total protein, albumin, creatinine, uric acid, urea, and glucose), the economical evaluation of experimental diets, recorded that the addition of fennel, spearmint and halfa bar mixed EOS at graded levels to the broilers diets caused more net profit compared to control. In conclusion, supplementation of fennel, spearmint and halfa bar mixed EOS could be more advantageous as natural feed additive in diets due to its combined beneficial effects on growth performances, serum metabolite and enzyme in broiler chickens.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity, Egg production, Essential oils, Growth performance, Poultry nutrition