THE EFFECTS OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTION OF FENUGREEK (Trigonella foenum-graecum) SEED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANTIBIOTIC ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH OF BROILER CHICKEN

Abstract

A total of 150 day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were reared in Sher e-Bangla

Agricultural Universit y Poultry Farm, Dhaka. The present study was designed to evaluate the productive performance and health status of commercial broiler chicks fed diet containing graded levels of FS (Fenugreek Seed) compared to antibiotic based diet. Chicks were distributed randoml y in a complete randomized design into 5 experimental groups of 3 replicates (10 chicks with each replications).One of the 5 experimental group was fed this diet as control while, the remaining four groups were fed diet with 3 levels of FS (1, 1.5 and 2%) and antibiotic. The results obtained revealed that the body weight was significant (P<0.05) and the dressing percentage was also significant (P<0.05) by the dietary inclusion of FS as compared to control fed broilers. However, a linear increase in body weight was found with the increase in FS level in the diet. Birds fed 1.5% FS diets achieved superior body weights (1528.33 a ±57.468) compared to those of the control and antibiotic group. Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was non-significant but feed consumption was significantl y higher (2289.67 a ±2.603) in 1% FS treated group in comparison to others. The relative weight of spleen and bursa of different groups showed that there was no significant (P>0.05) difference between the groups. In addition, the present study showed that feeding dietary Fenugreek seed had no significant (P>0.05) effects on liver, gizzard, intestine and heart weight among the treatments. The level of Cholesterol was significantl y (p<0.05) lower in fenugreek treated group but no significant differences in glucose level. The results of hematological studies showed no significant (P>0.05) differences due to supplementation of Fenugreek seed, except Hemoglobin, Red blood cell (RBC), White blood cell (WBC), Lymphocyte which were significantl y affected (p<0.05) compared with control and antibiotic. However, addition of FS to broiler chicks diets showed significant (p<0.05) difference in bacterial colony count among the groups. The FS supplementing groups showed lower number of E. coli and Salmonella sp. and higher number of Lactobacillus sp. compared to control group. Treatments with FS significantl y (P<0.05) increased Newcastle disease (ND) titre.