EFFECTS OF FİRST TRANSİTİON TİME TO FEED AND HERBAL POWDERS ON İNTESTİNAL MORPHOLOGY AND GROWTH PARAMETERS İN BROİLER CHİCKENS

This study was conducted to determine the effects of early or late transition time to feed after hatching and supplemented diets with enzyme, thyme powder and garlic powder or with their combination on growth performance and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens. One hundred and fifty, day-old male broiler chicks were purchased 4 h posthatching, transferred to cages and randomly assigned to one of five treatments. The treatment groups were no supplemented diet was given 4 h posthatch, no supplemented diet was given 36 h pothatch, supplemented diet with enzyme was given 36 h posthatch, supplemented diet with thyme powder and garlic powder was given 36 h posthatch and supplemented diet with enzyme, thyme powder and garlic powder was given 36 h posthatch, respectively. There were no differences (P>0.05) between treatment groups for 42 d body weight, feed intake and feed conversion. However, late transition time to feed decreased (P<0.05) body weight and feed intake at first week of the experiment. The villus height in duodenum of birds were given supplemented diet with enzyme and two herbal powders was given 36 h posthatch were higher (P<0.05) than the other groups. The villus height in jejunum of birds fed with enzyme supplemented diet was given 36 h posthatch and the birds fed the diet supplemented with the two herbal powders was given 36 h posthatch were higher (P<0.05) than birds were given supplemented diet with enzyme and the two herbal powders was 36 h posthatch and birds received no supplemented basal diet was given 4 h posthatch. The highest villus height in ileum was measured in birds fed the two herbal powders supplemented diet was given 36 h posthatch and birds were fed diet supplemented with enzyme and the two herbal powders was given 36 h posthatch. The crypt depth in duodenum of birds fed supplemented diet with the two herbal powders was given 36 h posthatch and birds were given supplemented diet with enzyme and the two herbal powders was given 36 h posthatch were higher (P<0.05) than other groups. However, the highest (P<0.05) crypt depth in ileum was determined in birds were given supplemented diet with enzyme and the two herbal powders was given 36 h posthatch. Results of this study show that late transition time to feed depressed the body weight at first week but broiler chickens compensated it at 42 d of age. Birds were fed supplemented diets with thyme powder and garlic powder had higher villus height and crypt depth in duodenum and ileum.