Effects of Feeding Thyme, Rosemary, and Oregano Powder Supplementation on Broiler Chickens: Performance, Meat Quality, Hematology and Serum Biochemistry
Effects of Feeding Thyme, Rosemary, and Oregano Powder Supplementation on Broiler Chickens: Performance, Meat Quality, Hematology and Serum Biochemistry
Anguara Khatun1*, Ankon Lahiry2, Nusrat Jahan Nishat1, Maksuda Begum3, Bibek Chandra Roy4, Shubash Chandra Das1
ABSTRACT
The study examined the impact of thyme, rosemary, and oregano powder on growth performance, meat quality, hematology, serum chemistry, and profitability in commercial broiler chickens. Four feeding treatments were randomly assigned to 480-day-old Indian River Meat chicks, with six replicates, each consisting of 20 birds. The control group (T1) received a basal diet, while the T2, T3, and T4 groups received thyme, rosemary, and oregano powder supplementation at 5 g/kg of feed, respectively. A corn soybean meal-based mash diet is supplied in two phases (starter phase 0-21 days; ME = 2958 kcal/kg, CP = 21.77%, and grower phase 22-35 days; ME = 3046 kcal/kg, CP = 20.31%). The findings indicated that growth performance showed no significant differences among the dietary groups. However, rosemary (FBW= 1613.1g/b, BWG=1571.39 g/b, FI= 2469.18 g/b, FCR=1.56) and oregano (FBW= 1589.89 g/b, BWG=1548.11g/b, FI= 2458.73 g/b, FCR=1.59) supplemented groups showed the highest final body weight, body weight gain, FI and better FCR. Meat quality data represents that rosemary group had significantly (P<0.05) higher water-holding capacity than other two groups and control group. Meat color data showed that control group had the lowest lightness and redness values whereas thyme and oregano group had the highest values. The yellowness data represented the maximum values found in the oregano supplemented group and minimum in the control group, and they were significantly (P<0.05) differed from the control group. The rosemary group had the highest significant (P<0.05) levels of hemoglobin, total erythrocyte counts, and packed cell volume as compared to control and other two groups. Thyme group showed significantly (P<0.05) lower levels of total cholesterol (86.97 mg/dl), triglyceride (75.89 mg/dl) and low-density lipoprotein (37.39 mg/dl) but higher in high density lipo-protein (61.43 mg/dl). Aspartate aminotransferase enzyme levels were significantly (P<0.05) higher in the control group but lower in the oregano group. The herbs supplemented groups had a better benefit-cost ratio. It was summarised that the potential use of powder extract of herbs in broiler diet improved growth performance, meat quality and reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels by maintaining good liver condition. So, this powder of herbs may be used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.
Keywords | Growth performance, Meat quality, Hematology, Lipid profiles, Liver enzymes, Profitability
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