INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF Nigella sativa POWDER SUPPLEMENTATION ON SOME PRODUCTIVE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES AND INTESTINAL FLORA OF BROILER.

S. Ahmad, Ayad; A. Naji, S.

	INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF Nigella sativa POWDER SUPPLEMENTATION ON SOME PRODUCTIVE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES AND INTESTINAL FLORA OF BROILER.
iraqi poultry sciences journal
Article 1, Volume 2, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 90-101
Authors
Ayad S. Ahmad; S. A. Naji
Abstract
A study was undertaken to explore the effect of different levels of Nigella sativa powder supplementation on some productive and immunological characteristics as well as on intestinal flora of fawbro broiler. Three hundred and sixty unsexed broiler chicks of one-day old were equally divided into four groups, 3 replicates per group (30 chicks/replicate). Chicks were allocated on unique ration supplemented with 0(control), 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 % of Nigella sativa powder during the experimental period (56 days). Average live body weight, weight gain as well as feed conversion ratio were highly (P<0.01) improved in birds supplemented with Nigella sativa powder as compared with control group. Dressing percentage did not significantly affected by Nigella sativa supplementation. Bursa of Fabrcius of treated groups exhibited higher (p<0.05) relative weighs than control group, whereas the difference belongs to the Bursa of Fabrcius index lacked significance. Moreover, supplementation of Nigella sativa had increased the follicular diameter of Bursa of Fabrcius and the antibody titer against both of Newcastle and Gomboro diseases. On the other hand, the intestinal total count of bacteria and coliforms were inhibited significantly (p<0.01) in the treated groups as compared with the control group. It could be concluded that supplementation of Nigella sativa powder to diet had a profound effect to enhance productive and immunological aspects and to inhibit the intestinal bacterial count of Fawbro broiler.

Statistics Article View: 143 PDF Download: 39