Performance and organoleptic qualities of broiler chickens fed and raised with varying levels of ginger and garlic mixture

Abstract

An experiment to assess the performance and organoleptic qualities of broiler chickens fed varying levels of ginger and garlic mixture was conducted in the Poultry Unit and Meat science and Technology laboratory of the Department of Animal Science Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. A total of 120 day old (Anak 2000) broiler chickens were used for the experiment. Thirty chicks were randomly selected to each of the four treatment diets with diet 1 being the control and diet 2 contained 1% ginger and garlic mixture, diet 3 contained 1.5% ginger and garlic mixture while diet 4 contained 2% ginger and garlic mixture. Each treatment group contained three replicate with ten birds per replicate and were assigned to the four treatment diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). The result on the performance at the starter phase showed that weekly feed intake, weekly weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P<0.05) highest among birds fed the control (1.25 kg, 0.93 kg and 1.42) comparable to those on 2% ginger and garlic mixture on weekly weight gain alone (0.94 kg)while at finisher phase, final live weight, daily and weekly feed intake, weekly weight gain were significantly (P<0.05) highest among birds fed 2% ginger and garlic mixture 2.64 kg, 0.80 kg and 2.33 kg, 1.18 kg respectively. Feed conversion ratio was higher significantly (P<0.05) in those placed on 1% ginger and garlic mixture (2.24). No mortality was recorded in both phases. All the organoleptic qualities assayed in this study were significantly (P<0.05) higher among the chicken thighs processed with 1.5% ginger and garlic mixture. It is concluded therefore that the inclusion of ginger and garlic mixture (GGM) in the diet of broiler chickens up to 2.0% as supplement enhanced the growth performance of the birds and processing the primal cut with 1.5% of the mixture improved the organoleptic quality of the broiler chicken.

Keywords: Broiler chickens, Ginger, Garlic, Performance, Organoleptic qualities