The effect of adding different concentrations of fresh onion juice to the drinking water of broiler chickens on productive and immune performance
Author(s): Hayder Abd AL-Emier Almremdhy
Abstract: Poultry scientists are currently searching for feed additives capable of combating pathogens, enhancing bird immunity, improving growth, and maintaining product quality. This study aims to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of fresh onion juice on growth performance and immune response parameters in broiler chickens. 170 one-day-old, unsexed Ross 308 broiler chicks were obtained from a hatchery in Babil province, Iraq. On the first day of the experiment, 20 chicks were sacrificed for blood collection to measure maternal immunity against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) by indirect ELISA. The remaining chicks were distributed into three equal treatment groups, each with five replicates, with 10 chicks per pen in a completely randomized design.All chicks in all experimental groups were fed standard balanced diets. According to the age stage of the birds, fresh onion juice was added to the drinking water of chicks in experimental groups 1, 2 and 3 at concentrations of 0, 1.5% and 2.5% of water, respectively.All chicks were vaccinated against Newcastle disease (ND) using ND vaccine three times on days 7, 17 and 27, respectively, by intraocular route. Feed consumption and body weight were recorded weekly and used to calculate feed conversion ratio (FCR).At the end of the experiment (after 35 days), blood was collected from the chicks in each replicate of each group for the purpose of evaluating humoral immunity by indirect ELISA, cellular immunity by counting CD8 by competitive ELISA, and stress rate by measuring the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio. Then, four chickens from each pen were randomly selected for slaughter to evaluate the lymphoid organs weight index. An increase in the means weekly body weight, weekly feed consumption and weekly feed conversion ratio were observed (p<0.05) at 1.5% and 2.5% of fresh onion juice in broiler drinking water. Also, there is a significant difference at (p?0.05) in the average antibody titer, CD8 concentration, relative weight of lymphoid organs and hetrophil/ lymphocyte ratio between the two groups treated with onion juice at a rate of 2.5% and 1.5% respectively and control group. Based on these results, the study concluded that the addition of fresh onion juice in broiler drinking water has positive effects in improve the growth performance, immunity and decrease stress of broiler chicken. Also, there isn't effect of high concentration of fresh onion juice in study parameters except in antibody titer. For that this study, recommended to addition of 1.5% fresh onion juice in broiler drinking water as safe natural promoter and antistress. While mean addition 2.5% of it as inducer of humoral immunity.
