Pages: (1-13 )
Abstract
The use of antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry and livestock production is facing serious disapproval as a result of resistance in bacteria and the residues in meat and other products. To overcome the poor performance and the increase susceptibility to diseases resulting from removal of antibiotics from bird’s diets, attempts were made to find alternatives from medicinal plant, such as ginger ((Zingiber officinale) which is widely noted to contain some medicinal properties that could be useful in increasing poultry production.
A total of hundred and forty four day old Marshal Strains of broiler chicks were assigned to six dietary treatments with twenty-four birds with 3 replicates of 8 birds each in a Completely Randomized Design. The birds were fed in two phases (starter and finisher). The ginger powder was added to the diets at graded levels, basal diet (control)T1, basal diet + antibiotics) (T2), basal diet + 1.0% ginger(T3), basal diet +1.5% ginger(T4), basal diet + 2.0% ginger(T5), basal diet + 2.5% ginger(T6). The study lasted for a period of 7 weeks. Parameters evaluated are: performance, hematology, serum biochemistry and meat quality using standard methods, data were subjected to analysis of variance using statistical package of SAS and significant means were separated using Duncan multiple range test.
The results showed that weight gain of broilers fed diets supplemented with varying inclusion levels of ginger were significantly different (P > 0.05). The highest weight gain was obtained from birds in T3 (1776.40g) while the least value was obtained from T6 (1591.93g). Significant differences were also observed in the feed conversion ratio (FCR), highest value of (1.82) was obtained in T6 and lowest value of (1.62) in T3, highest feed intake was obtained in T1 (2934g) while the lowest value of (2813g) was obtained in T5. The blood profile of birds indicated no significant difference except for haemoglobin and eosinophil value which ranged between 2.50-6.00g/dl and 9.45- 10.65 g/dl respectively. T6 had the highest cholesterol value of 118.49mg/dl and lowest value of 74.80mg/dl was obtained in T4. The lowest value of Alamine transamine was obtained from birds on T4 (1.12%) and while T6 had the highest value (6.17%). The drumstick freezing loss (DFL) and breast weight refrigerating loss(BWRL) were significantly different, (DFL) showed highest value of 6.80 at 1% supplementation and lowest value of 2.50 at 2.5% while the (BWRL) showed highest value of 4.86 at 1% and lowest value of 2.40% at 0% inclusion level.
Inclusion of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in the diets of broiler chicken had no detrimental effect on the performance characteristics of the birds but improved the average body weight, health status and meat quality.
Keywords: Broiler Chickens, Zingiber officinale, performance characteristics, supplementation, feed conversion ratio, meat quality,