The influence of some herbs substituting for antibiotic growth promoter on the results of broiler chickens rearing

 

1Ryszard K. Pisarski, 1Mirosław Zięba, 2Krzysztof Szkucik

1- Institute of Animal Nutrition, 2- Department of Food Hygiene of Animal Origin

Agricultural University, 20-950 Lublin, Akademicka 13 St.

 

 

 

Summary

During the experiment with 210 ROSS broilers the effect of some herbs fsubstituting for AGP was examined. The compound feed for control birds contained AGP (Flavomycin ), whereas experimental feeds contained 2% of dried herbs, as follows: 1-hop cone, 2- lime tree, 3-lemon balm, 4-pansy, 5-peppermint  and 6-nettle. Broilers were fed ad libitum..  On the last day of experiment 8 chickens from every group were slaughtered and dissected. The effect of herbs was expressed on the basis of final body weight, feed conversion, dressing percentage and the share of   muscles and abdominal fat in chilled carcass.  It was revealed that broilers given AGP gained final body weight of 1560g, which differed significantly only from b.w. of broilers fed hop cone (1194). The best substitutes for AGP were nettle and pansy (respectively 1638 and 1642g).

 

 

The search for the substitutes for antibiotic growth promoters (AGP), at present banned in European Union, turned the attention to many other alternative additives, including herbs. Their beneficial characteristics of numerous herbs have been known for centurieswhich predestined herbs as natural therapeutics [1,6].  Some herbs have been also used for a long time as feeds e.g. nettle, causing satisfying productivity [3,9]. The benefits obtained with respect to herbs as therapeutics and feeds raised the hope of applying them as feed additives, instead of antibiotics.  Herbs fed as the feed additives are believed to improve metabolism rate and the health status in animals. It is obvious that numerous herbs increase the activity of enzymes involved in protein metabolism (AST, ALT) [5].  It seems that some herbs can support the activity of digestive enzymes, resulting in improved feed consumption and conversion. It is also commonly believed that they are capable positively affect carcass characteristics and poultry meat traits [2,4,8,10], however some researchers report no positive influence of herbs [7]. 

As it indicates from the bibliography, the results of experiments dealing with herbs are not univocal, however, due to the alternation in chemical composition of herbs (specially with respect to the bioactive constituents). Therefore, to verify if some herbs can replace AGP in broilers compound feeds the appropriate study was conducted. The aim of the experiment was to search for the effect of some common herbs on the productive results of broiler chickens rearing.

 

 

Material and methods

The experiment was carried out with 210 ROSS broilers. One-day-old chicks were randomly allocated into one control (C)  and six experimental groups (1- 6), consisting of 3 replications, 10 broilers each. The birds were reared in wire cages under regular environmental conditions, accordingly to technological requirements. Starting the first day of life broilers werefed complete pelleted feeds: starter (1st through 10th day), grower (11th through 35th day) and finisher (36th through 42nd day). The compound feed for control broilers contained AGP (Flavomycin ) and 2% of dried neutral green  forage, whilst the experimental feeds contained 2% of dried herbs, as follows: 1-hop cone (Humulus lupulus L.), 2- lime tree (Tilia cordata L.), 3-lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), 4-pansy (Viola tricolor L.), 5-peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) and 6-nettle (Urtica dioica L.).  Experimental design is given in table no. 1. The herbs used in experiment were waste products derived from Herbapol Lublin S.A., nevertheless they were of complete biological value. Apart from the variety of constituents, the other important criterion of selection was the availability of herbs if proved effective.

No animal origin ingredients were used to formulate the feeds. The basic composition and nutritive value of the feeds applied in every group was the same. Their formulas are given in table no. 2. During the entire rearing period broilers were fed ad libitum and they were provided with unlimited access to drinking water.

On the last day of experiment 8 chickens from every group (4 ♂ and 4 ♀) of average body weight for a gender were selected and slaughtered after 8 hours lasting starvation. During the starvation the birds had free access to the drinking water, however. Than the selected broiler were sacrificed and dissected [11]. The effect of herbs as a experimental factor was expressed on the basis of broilers final body weight, feed conversion, dressing percentage and the share of   muscles (sum of breast, thigh and second thigh muscles) and abdominal fat in chilled carcass. Dressing percentage was calculated as a proportion of chilled carcass in the broilers body weight after starvation. To establish the share of muscles involved.  All the experimental data underwent two-way analysis of variance by ANOVA. 

 

Results and Discussion

With respect to body weight it should be emphasised that it was rather low due to the very warm weather during the last several days of rearing. Resulting from the depressed body weight gain, the feed conversion was not satisfying, either. Nevertheless is believed that the relations between the groups were not hampered by this factor, impossible to avoid.

Broilers given hop cone gained in weight significantly lower than the control ones and than the other experimental chickens, as well (table 3). Pretty similar reaction was observed with respect to feed conversion. On the contrary, the best results were obtained in the chickens given the feed fortified with nettle substituted for flavomycin. Apart from the differences noted within the experimental groups, it should be stated that lime tree, lemon balm, pansy and peppermint also proved their potential to substitute for AGP, since there were no significant differences between body weight of broilers given mentioned herbs and the control ones.

With respect to dressing percentage it was revealed that all the examined herbs were capable to  replace AGP, since the values obtained in the experimental groups were not worse than the control. Nevertheless it was confirmed that the hop cone is not as effective as the other herbs.

Considering the share of muscles, all the examined herbs, especially nettle and lemon balm, proved their usefulness as AGP substitutes. The mentioned herbs also influenced positively the share of abdominal fat, whilst hop cone had the adverse effect.

            The results obtained in the presented study could not be confronted with the data by the other authors since in the available bibliography no papers dealing with the very same single herbs in broilers were found.

 

Conclusion

It should be stated that not every herb substituted for AGP was effective enough. Supplementing broiler feeds with 2% of dried lime tree, lemon balm, pansy, peppermint and/or nettle does not decrease examined productive characteristics, compared to AGP. The best results were obtained using nettle and/or pansy substituting for AGP, whilst the worse effects resulted from hop cone supplementation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

1.      Anioł-Kwiatkowska (1993): Rośliny leczące zwierzęta. WSP, Warszawa

 

2.      Dickens J.A., Berrang M.E., Cox N.A. (2000): Efficacy of an herbal extract on the microbiological quality of broiler carcasses during a simulated chill. Poultry Sci. 79,1200-1203

3.      El Deek A.A., Attia Y.A., Hannfy M.M. (2003): Effect of anise (Pimpinella anisum), ginger (Zingiber officinale roscoe) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and their mixture on performance of broilers. Arch. Geflügelkde. 67, 92-96

 

4.      El-Gendi G.M.I., Ismail F.A.S., El-Aggoury S.M. (1994): Effect of Cocci-Nel and Lomoton dietary supplementation as herbal growth promoters on productive performance in broilers. Ann. Agricult. Sci. Moshtohor. 32, 3, 1511-1528

 

5.      Fritz Z., Kinal S., Schleicher A. (1994): Wpływ podawania kurczętom brojlerom mieszanek z udziałem preparatu torfowego lub ziół na wskaźniki hematologiczne, dysekcyjne, histologiczne i jakość mięsa. Zesz. Nauk. AR Wrocław Zoot. 39, 252,  59-71

 

6.      Garbuliński T. (1984): Farmakologia weterynaryjna. PWRiL, Warszawa

 

7.      Halle I., Thomann R., Bauermann U., Henning M., Kohler P. (2004): Effects of a graded supplementation of herbs and essential oils in broiler feed on growth and carcass traits. Landbauforschung Volkenrode 54, 219-229

 

8.      Kinal S., Schleicher A., Fritz Z. (1998): Wpływ stosowania w mieszankach treściwych ziół o działaniu tonizującym i uspokajającym na wskaźniki fizjologiczne i jakość mięsa kurcząt rzeźnych. Zesz. Nauk. AR Wrocław Zoot. 44, 350, 69-78

9.      Mandal L., Biswas T., Sarkar S.K. (2000): Broilers perform well on herbs or enzymes in maize diet. World Poultry 16, 5, 19-21

 

10.  Pietrzak D., Mroczek J., Antolik A., Michalczuk M., Niemiec J. (2005): Influence of growth stimulators added to feed on the quality of meat and fat in broiler chickens. Medycyna Wet. 61, 553-557

11.  Ziołecki J., Doruchowski W. (1989): Metoda oceny wartości rzeźnej drobiu Wyd COBRD, Poznań

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corresponding  author: prof. dr hab. Ryszard K. Pisarski, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Agricultural University, 20-950 Lublin, Poland, Akademicka 13 St.

e-mail: ryszard.pisarski@ar.lublin.pl

phone: +48 81 445 60 67

 

 

 

 

 

Table 1. Experimental design

 

Group

AGP

Herbs, dried

 

 

Species

Content (%)

C

Flavomycin

green forage

2

1

none

Hop cone

2

2

none

Lime tree

2

3

none

Lemon balm

2

4

none

Pansy

2

5

none

Peppermint

2

6

none

Nettle

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2. Formulas and nutritive value of compound feeds for broilers (%)

 

Ingredients

Starter

Grower/Finisher**

C

1 - 6

C

1 - 6

Corn ground

55.5

55.5

59.0

59.0

Soybean meal, solvent

33.0

33.0

28.0

28.0

Yeast

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

Green forage, dried

2.0

 

2.0

 

Herbs*

 

2.0

 

2.0

Soybean oil

3.0

3.0

4.0

4.0

Dicalcium phosphate

1.5

1.5

2.0

2.0

Calcium carbonate

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

Sodium chloride

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

Premix plus AGP

1.0

 

1.0

 

Premix without AGP

 

1.0

 

1.0

Nutritive value per 1 kg

 

 

 

 

Metabolizable energy MJ

12.74

12.73

13.03

13.03

Crude protein (g)

220.9

220.1

197.1

198.7

Crude fibre (g)

33.3

34.3

32.3

33.3

*- accordingly to experimental design

** - finisher  contained no coccidiostat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 3.  Basic effects of broiler chickens rearing

 

Characteristics

Group

SEM

 

C-

AGP

1- Hop cone

2- Lime tree

3- Lemon balm

4- Pansy

5- Pep-permint

6- Nettle

 

Body weight (g)

1560AB

1194C

1414Bb

1585ABa

1642A

1608ABa

1638A

25.2

Feed conversion(kg kg–1)

1.92A

2.21B

2.01AC

2.07C

2.04AC

2.10BC

1.90A

0.39

Dressing percentage

71.2a

71.0a

73.1b

73.1b

73.0b

72.7b

73.2b

0.57

Share of muscles (%)

34.9a

36.0a

35.8a

38.1b

37.1ab

35.2a

39.7b

1.24

Share of abdominal fat(%)

1.9ae

2.4b

1.8ad

2.1ab

1.5cd

1.6cde

1.4c

0.17

A, B ... means with different superscripts in rows differ significantly at p ≥ 0.01

a,b … means with different superscripts in rows differ significantly at p ≥ 0.05