Authors : M. A.A. Qasem, M. S. Alhajj, A. R. Ger El Nabi and S. I. Al-Mufarrej
Abstract: This study investigated the effectiveness of Turmeric Powder (TP) as a dietary supplement on the performance and immune response of broiler chickens. A total of 288, 1 day old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to eight groups with six replicates each. Turmeric powder was added to the basal diet at 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 g kg-1 feed and there were two control groups (positive and negative). The Body Weight (BW), Daily Feed Intake (DFI) and titers of antibodies specific for NDV, IBV and IBDV were measured weekly during the experiment. The relative weights of the lymphoid organs were measured in chickens at 21 and 42 days of age. The control groups performed significantly better than the treated chickens on all measurements during the experiment (p≤0.05). The chickens fed 20 g kg-1 of TP had significantly lower BWs after 42 days than the controls and those administered lower levels of TP (10 and 12 g kg-1 (p≤0.05)) and similar results were observed for Daily Weight Gain (DWG) after 42 days. Moreover, the DFI significantly decreased in chickens fed 18 and 20 g kg-1 of TP in the 0-21 and 0-42 days phases in comparison with the controls (p≤0.05). However, the other treated groups showed no significant differences in the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) (p≥0.05). The chickens fed TP did not significantly differ from the positive controls in terms of NDV or IBV-specific antibody titers in the post-vaccination periods (p≥0.05) except at the 3rd and 4th weeks for IBV. Additionally, at the 6th week, the chickens fed 14 and 16 g kg-1 of TP had significantly higher IBDV-specific antibody titers than the positive controls (p≤0.05). The TP had no significant (p≥0.05) effect on the relative weights of the thymus, bursa or spleen at 21 or 42 days of age. The additions of TP to the diet failed to significantly improve the performance indicators or the immune responses of broiler chickens.
M. A.A. Qasem, M. S. Alhajj, A. R. Ger El Nabi and S. I. Al-Mufarrej, 2015. Effect of Turmeric Powder as a Dietary Supplement on Performance Indicators and Immune Responses in Broiler Chickens. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 14: 30-35.