EFFECTS OF PHYTOGENIC FEED ADDITIVES ON BROILER CHICKEN PERFORMANCE•

Dingle, J.; D. Alhassani, And; Kumar, A.

	EFFECTS OF PHYTOGENIC FEED ADDITIVES ON BROILER CHICKEN PERFORMANCE•
iraqi poultry sciences journal
Article 1, Volume 3, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 156-153
Authors
J. Dingle; and D. Alhassani; A. Kumar
Abstract
A total of 900 day old male Ross broiler chickens were used in this study to compare the effects on broiler performance from adding a phytogenic feed additive (PFA) (Digestarom 150 ppm / 1 kg diet) or a growth promoting antibiotic (GPA) (Avilamycin 10 ppm / 1 kg diet) to low (LS) or high (HS) nutrient specification wheat and soybean meal based diets. Birds were randomly allocated 25 to each of 36 deep litter floor pens (150 birds per diet). Two diets were used, broiler starter and finisher. Results revealed that no significant differences were found between LS and HS in all traits at three weeks of age, whereas mean body weight (BW), weight gain (WG), feed intake (FI), and mortality (M) were higher (P < 0.05), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was better at six weeks of age in HS compared with LS group. HS diet supplemented with PFA and GPA increased BW, WG (in 3rd week of age), and FI (during 4-6 weeks of age) in comparison with HS non- supplemented diet, whereas LS diet supplemented with PFA and GPA had no effect on any trait, except WG was higher in PFA during last three weeks of age in comparison with non supplemented diet. Therefore, to achieve maximum benefit, PFAs should be included in HS broiler starter diets (0 - 3 weeks), and in LS finisher broiler diets (4 - 6 weeks).

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