Author
Abstract
The experiment was conducted to study the effect of adding propolis powder to the
diet on productive , carcass characteristics and blood parameters in broiler chicks. Total
of 180 1- day- old chicks were distributed randomly among four dietary treatments of
propolis 0 , 0.5 , 1.5 and 2.5 g/kg diets . Each treatment was contain three replicate (15
birds / pen ). The results revealed that propolis supplementation at levels of 0.5 and 1.5
g/kg significantly (p<0.05) improved final body weight, weight gains and feed
conversion ratios during the period from 15 to 28 days and the accumulative period (1-28 days of age) . However, there was no significant difference among treatment in feed
intake. There were no significant difference in carcass yield, in relative weights of liver ,
gizzard, heart , spleen , bursa of fabricius, in relative weight and length of the intestine ,
cecum , in carcass length at the end of the study. However , chicks fed 2.5 g / Kg
propolis had significant (p<0.05) reduction in total serum protein and albumin while
increases in cholesterol and glucose levels as compared with the other treatments . These
result indicate that supplementary propolis powder at 0.5 and 1.5 % had beneficial effects
on productive traits but no significant effect on carcass characteristics or the
hematological parameters examined in broiler chicks.
Keywords
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