Vol. 8, Issue 6, Part C (2023)

Author(s): Chitra P

Abstract: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Aloe vera, Tulsi, and Amla on growth rate, feed conversion ratio, immunity, and carcass characteristics in broiler chickens. Four hundred day-old commercial Vencobb 400 broiler chicks were purchased and randomly allotted to four treatment groups with five replicates of twenty chicks each. The control group T₁ was fed a basal diet formulated as per BIS (2007) while in treatment groups T₂ T₃ T₄ fed basal diet with 1% Aleo vera (T₂), basal diet with 1% Tulsi (T₃), basal diet with 1% Amla (T₄). The experiment lasted for six weeks period during which the following parameters were recorded body weight, feed conversion ratio, immune response and carcass yield. The highest body weight (in g) was noticed in T₄ (2375±21.36) and T₃ (2272±37.26) followed by T₂ (2216±62.38) and T₁ (2145±74.48) at sixth week age of broilers. Lowest feed conversion ratio was noticed in T₄ (1.80±0.022) followed by T_3, T₂ and T₁ for 1.82±0.020, 1.85±0.026 and 1.91±0.031 respectively. The highest carcass yield (in g) was noticed in T₂ (1700±47.36) followed by T_3, T₂ and T₁ for 1602±42.25, 1567±32.46 and 1483±48.21 respectively. Similarly, the highest dressing percentage was noticed in T₄ (73.15±0.48) followed by T₃, T₂ and T₁ for 72.45±1.41, 71.93±0.98 and 70.43±0.65 respectively.The treatment groups did not have a significant difference in serum biochemical parameters (serum total protein and serum albumin). The serum cholesterol significantly reduced in treatment groups compared to control. The immune response (HI titre) to Newcastle disease non-significant in treatment groups. But numerical improvement observed in all treatment groups compared to control. It could be concluded that Aloe vera, Tulsi and Amla act as a feed additive and improve production performance of broilers.