Response of broiler chicks to different mixtures of dietary (Fennel , Spearmint and Halfa bar( Essential oils as natural feed additives

Abstract

The studies involves four experiments to evaluate the effect of different levels of mixed of essential oils extracted from different medicinal plants on broiler diets including: Fennel and Spearmint mixed essential oils (FSMEOs), Fennel and Halfa bar mixed essential oils (FHMEOs), Spearmint and Halfa bar mixed essential oils (SHMEOs) and different levels of Fennel and Spearmint and Halfa bar mixed essential oils (FSHMEOs) (1:1:1) as natural feed additives. The experimental parameters covered growth performances, carcass and non-carcass values, serum metabolites, and enzyme activities, mineral and economical appraisal. The experimental design used was complete randomize design, a total number of 384 one day old unsexed commercial broilers of Cobb strain were used. Chicks were distributed randomly into four experimental groups of 96 chicks in each experiment, with three replicates each content 8 chicks (4x3x8). Each experiment divided into four experimental groups of diets (A, B, C and D), group A fed on control diet only, other groups B, C and D were fed on control diet supplemented with one of mixing essential oils (FSMEOs), (FHMEOs), (SHMEOs) and (FSHMEOs) at graded levels (200, 400 and 600mg/kg) respectively. The control diet was formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of broilers according to NRC (1994), experimental rations were fed for 5 weeks. The results showed that, the addition of mixing essential oils, showed no significant (p ≥0.05) differences between all tested groups in feed intake, body weight, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio, but caused improvement in performance, no mortalities were recorded throughout the experimental period. The results indicate that, the dressing and giblets showed no significant (p≥ 0.05) difference between all tested groups for all mixing levels of essential oils expect abdominal fat for (FSMEOs) and heart for (FSHMEOs) recorded significant (p≤ 0.05) difference, the results of non-carcass components showed V that there were no significant differences among all treatment groups for all mixing levels of essential oils expect head for (FSMEOs), intestine length for (SHMEOs) and back for (FSHMEOs) recorded significant (p≤ 0.05) difference, the results recorded that there was no significant difference among all treatment groups in commercial cuts and their meat ,expect breast meat and bone for (FSMEOs) and drumstick meat and bone for (FSHMEOs) recorded significant (p≤ 0.05) difference, furthermore the results for subjective quality attributes showed that there were no significant differences among all treatment groups for all mixing levels of essential oils, however there were significant effects on meat chemical composition among all treatment groups expect for ash and crude protein for (FHMEOs), ash, dry matter and moisture for (FSHMEOs) recorded no significant effects, the result of serum enzymes and minerals values showed significant effect among all treatment groups for all mixing levels of essential oils, the results of serum metabolites showed that, inclusion of different EOs mixing at different levels showed significant effect for all treatments except creatinine recorded no significant in experiments (1, 2 and 3). Supplementation of (FSMEOs) at different levels documented significantly decreased in cholesterol value with increased supplementation of mixing Eos in diet, moreover serum metabolite for (FHMEOs) showed no significant effect in cholesterol. The results of interaction between all experiments showed that, experiment two (Fennel and Halfa bar) mixed essential oils recorded, the best performance, also, the results of interaction between levels revealed that, level 400mg/kg recorded the best level. The economic evaluation of experimental diets, showed that the addition of (Fennel and Spearmint; Fennel and Halfa bar; Spearmint and Halfa bar and Fennel and Spearmint and Halfa bar) mixing EOs at graded levels to the rations of broilers caused more net profit compared to control.