EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION WITH DIFFERING LEVELS OF PROPOLIS ON PRODUCTIVITY AND BLOOD PARAMETERS IN BROILER CHICKS

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


Volume 13, Issue 2
Autumn 2014
Page 164-179

  • Receive Date 01 December 2014
  • Revise Date 20 December 2014
  • Accept Date 25 December 2014
  • Publish Date 28 December 2014