Vol. 10, Issue 1, Part D (2025)

Author(s): PS Thakare, SP Nage, SR Shegokar, NS Chore and MR Wade

Abstract: The study, titled "Effect of Supplementation of Buttermilk as a Feed Additive on Growth Performance of Giriraja Poultry Birds," aimed to evaluate the impact of buttermilk supplementation on various performance parameters, including body weight, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency (FCR), dressing percentage, and the overall economics of Giriraja poultry production. a total of 150 one-day-old Giriraja chicks were sourced from the government regional hatchery, Nagpur (Maharashtra) and were randomly divided into five treatment groups—T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5—each comprising 30 chicks. Buttermilk supplementation was included in the experimental diets at different levels. the treatment groups consisted of a basal control diet (T1), followed by diets with buttermilk supplementation at 4% (T2), 8% (T3), 10% (T4), and 12% (T5), with all buttermilk containing the same culture and microbial load. results indicated that a 10% inclusion of buttermilk in the diet significantly improved the dressing percentage and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) of Giriraja poultry birds.