Histopathologic basis for the improvement of broiler production performance supplemented with plant derivatives
2015
Marte, B.R.G.
The attainment of broiler production performance targets is vital for the sustainability of broiler operation. Supplementation with plant derivatives, specifically saponins, is the focus of this paper. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of saponin on the morphology of the jejunal mucosa, ammonia levels, and production performance of broiler chickens. 240 chickens were equally divided into 4 treatment groups, having 6 replicates with 10 birds each. These were divided into four Treatment Groups; Control group: no saponin in drinking water, Treatment 1: 0.5ml saponin in drinking water, Treatment 2: 1.0ml saponin in drinking water, and Treatment 3: 2.0ml saponin in drinking water. After 36 days, one chicken per replicate was randomly chosen to be sacrificed for the collection of its jejunum. The mucosal thickness, villus length, crypt depth, and villus were measured. The ammonia levels of the chicken litter were measured on days 21, 27, 36 and 42. Body weight was recorded at days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 36. Feed consumption, average weight gain and feed conversion ratio were also noted during 0-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28 and 29-36 days. The economics of supplementing with saponin was also computed. All treatment groups showed an increase in villus height compared to the Control Group. The ammonia levels in the chicken litter were reduced in birds given basal water with 100 ppm of saponin. There was no significant improvement in the production parameters among all treatment groups in the experiment. However, in a semi-commercial broiler operation, supplementation with saponin, there was an improvement in the body weight of the chickens.
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