Growth, haematological and biochemical studies on garlic- and ginger-fed broiler chickens

Abstract

The effects of dietary garlic and ginger on the growth performance and blood composition of broiler chickens were investigated. One hundred and ninety six 7-day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated to seven dietary treatments. Each treatment contained two replicates. Control diet contained 0% garlic and 0% ginger. Treatments T1, T2 and T3 contained garlic at 5g/kg, 10g/kg and 15g/kg respectively. Ginger supplements were concentrated in the diets at 5g/kg, 10g/kg, 15g/kg for treatments T4, T5 and T6 respectively. There were no significant differences in the average final live weights of birds on the different treatments. However, birds on garlic and ginger treatments had slightly better (P>0.05) average feed intake, weight gain and final live weight than those on the control diet. The supplements caused significant differences in the average weights (g) of the shank (P<0.01), wings, drumstick, lung and liver (P<0.05). The weight (%) of wings and lungs when expressed on relative basis, were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. There were general decreases in most of the haematological parameters of birds fed garlic and ginger. Birds in treatments T2, T4, T5 and T6 had about 10.3%, 4.8%, 8.5% and 13.9% reductions in packed cell volume respectively, while total white blood cells and neutrophils were increased by about 18.7% and 20.4% respectively for birds on garlic and ginger treatments when compared to those on the control diet. Lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, serum total protein and albumin were not affected by the dietary treatments. In conclusion, seven weeks of feeding garlic and ginger did not significantly promote the growth of broilers and there was a marked effect on the haematological parameters that revealed the haemolytic activity of the supplements.

Keywords: broilers chickens, bio-chemical studies, garlic, ginger

Moor Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 5(2) 2004: 122-128