CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
It
is conceivable that herbal agents could serve as safe alternatives to
antibiotic growth promoters due to their suitability and preference of the
broiler meat consumers, reduced risk and minimal health hazards.
But today, natural feed additives of
plant origin are generally believed to be safer, healthier and less subject to
hazards for humans and animals. Many herbs and plant extracts have antimicrobial
activities and antioxidant properties which make them useful as natural animal
feed additives (Faixova and Faix 2008).
There is an increase interest in the
use of natural antioxidants such as Rosemary (Rosenmarinus officinalies) and
thymus vulgarts. Rosemary, belongs to a lamiaceae family and is known for its
anitoxidative properties used for flavouring foods and beverages, several
pharmaceutical applications.
Rosemary (Rosemarinus official) is
also used as a stimulating effects of digestion, ant parasitic and
antibacterial on Escherichia celi and salmonella typhimurium )Cabuk et al.;
2003) and antifungal (Soliman and Badea 2002).
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a plant
that possesses antioxidant properties (Seving et al; 2004) and belongs to
family of lamaceae, with the main components of phenols, thymol (40%) and
carvacrol (15%). It is used traditionally for several medicinal purposes:
respiratory diseases, antimmicrobal, antinociceptive.
Thymol and carbacrol are the main
antibacterial active substances and the product of thyme extraction are thyme oil extract which
contain approximately 15% essential oil (soluble in alcohol) and the thyme
water extract (Soluble in water).
Essential oil is also extracted from
fresh or partially diried flowing tops and leaves of the plant by water or
steam distillation providing a yield of 1.0% (Evans et l; 2001).
The compounds which comprise the
essential oil of thymus vulgaris have been identified as phenoylie compounds
such as thymol 944.4-58.1%), carvacn (2.4-4.2%) and tarpapered (6.9-18.9%) and
these compounds have strong antibacterial effects (Baranauskiene et al; 2003
and are also found in the extracted water soluble fraction of thyme.
1.1 Objective
of Study
1. To
determine the effects of different plant extracts (Rosemary and thyme) on the
performance of broiler.
2. To
investigate the effect of Rosemary and thyme on the hematological and serum bio
chemistry of finisher birds.
3. To
Evaluate economics of production of finisher broilers fed thyme and Rosemary
extracts.
1.2 Justification of study
Studies have shown that the use of
antibiotics and some organic acids as growth promoters in livestock production
farmers and the consumers is on the use of natural feed additives of plant
origin, examples rosemary and thyme extract as predicted by World Health
organization.
Some experiments conducted on plant
extract have shown that they play vital roles in maintaining human health and
improving the quality of human life (Osman et al; 2005), their antimicrobial
effects and stimulating effects on animal digestive system, their rapid gain,
higher production and better feed efficiency (Sabra and Metha,1990).
This, arose our interest to research
on the importance of plant extracts and their effects on the performance of
broilers.
CHAPTER THREE
Materials and method
3.0 Experimental
Site
This experiment/study was carried
out at the poultry unit of animal science department, faculty of agriculture
and Natural resources management, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki.
3.1 Sources
and Preparation of the Extracts
Thyme and rosemary leaves were
purchased from Abakaliki main market, 200g of thyme and Rosemary leaves asch
was used for the extraction.
Thyme and rosemary aqueous extract
was prepaed by soaking the ground thyme and Rosemary in water for 24 hours,
then filtered. The homogenous etract wad stored in the refrigerator, from there
is was served to the birds on dialy bases according to treatments.
3.2 Experimental
animal and management
A total of sixty five day old
broilers chicks were used. The birds were brooded in deep litter system, where
light was supplied to them (kerosene stoves, lantern) electricity to provide
the necessary heat needed to maintain their body temperature. At the 5th
week, sixty 660) birds were randomly assigned to four treatments in a complexly
randomized design.
Each treatment was replicated three
(3) times was provided ad libitum through the experimental period of 5 weeks.
Other routine poultry management
procedures which include daily inspection of birds for symptoms of diseases,
mortality, cleaning of troughs and fresh feed was maintained.
3.2 Experimental
Diet
Commercial broiler starters diet was used for the
experiment. The birds were served o.4 ml thyme extract/litre of water (T2),
o.4ml rosemary extract/Litre of water (T3) and a combination of 0.4 ml thyme
and Rosemary extract/lire of water (T4) respectively. Treatment one (T1) was
served 0.0ml extract (control). This was served daily.
PARAMETERS EVALUATED
1. Weight gain
2. Feed intake
3. Feed conversion Ratio
4. Hematology
and serum biochemical indices economic of production.
5. Economics
of production
3.3 Weight
Gain: Before the experiment starts, the birds were weighed to obtained their
initial body weight. Then the birds were weighed on weekly basis subsequently.
Weight Gain = Initial body weight final body weight.
3.4 Daily body
weight: It was body weight gain per number of days the experiment lasted.
3.5 Feed
intake: a weighed quantity feed was given to the birds per replicate in the
morning. The left over was collected and weighed every morning.
Feed intake was then determined by substracting the
leftover from the quantity given the pervious day.
3.6 Feed
conversion Ration: Feed conversion ratio was determined by feed in take daily
per weight gain.
3.7 Water
intake: a measured quantity of water was given to the birds per replicated
daily and same amount of water measured was left in a separate drinker to
determine the rate of evaporation after which the left over was weighed and
water intake was equally weighed and recorded.
Water intake was determined by adding the amount of water
evaporated to the atmosphere and the left over and then substrate it from the
water served.
3.7 Protein
efficiency ratio:
The
daily protein in takes of the birds was obtained protein efficiency ratio was
determined by using the values of daily protein intakes obtained to divide the
daily weight gain of the birds.
3.8 HEMATOLOGY
INDICES:
At the end of the experiment, 2mls
of blood sample was collected from two 92) birds in each treatment for the
evaluation of hematological indices. The blood sample was collected through the
wing veins using steriled needle and syringes.
The blood sample was done in the
morning hour to avoid too much bleeding. The collection site was seabed with
alcoholeotton wool.
The blood sample was collected into
a sample bottle containing dipotassium salt of ethylene diamine tetraceitic
acid (EDTA-K2+) which was then served as anticoagulant.
The blood sample was analyzed for
pakced cell volume (pcv), total erythrocyte (RBC) haemoglobin (Hb) and
differential leucocytes (WBC) count according to the methods described by vein
(1984). Erythrocyte (RBC) count was done in a hemocytometer chamber with natt
and herdrics dilvents to obtain 1:200 dilution. The number of leucocyte was
estimated as total WIBC x 200.
Packed cell volume (PVC) was measure
as micro haematocrit with 75 x 16cm capillary tubes filled with blood and
centrifuge at 300 R.P.M for 5 minutes.
The differential count of leucocytes
was made from blood, stained with wrights dye and each type of cell countered
with laboratory counter.
Haemoglobin concentration (H.B.C)
level was calculated according to Bush (1991) mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and
mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was also calculated according to
standard formular deduced by schalm et al (1975) and jain 91986) as shown
below.
MCV = PCN x 10
RBC count
(m106/mm3)
MCH = Hb
(gld) x 100
Pcv%
3.9 SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY:
Blood samples 2 mls for serum
biochemical was collected and put in a vial bottle without an anticoagulant.
The serum protein, albumin, globulin and urea were analyzed using Signma kits
according (Igene and Oboh, 2004).
Economics for Production
A case benefit analysis was carried
out for the four treatment to ascertain whether thyme and rosemary in the water
have some economic benefits. The cost of production included the cost of
feeding, buying of the birds, labour, medicationand vaccination. The revenue is
based on N950.00 per kg live weight of birds.
The following parameters was
obtained feed cost/feed consumed/bird/treatment
= Total cost of feed (N)
Total cost of consumed (kg)
Feed
cost (Nkg) weight gain/bird treatment
= total cost of feeding (N) total weight
gain (kg) total revenue generated = final body weight x No of birds x cost per
kg live weight
Net
Return (N) + total revenue
Generated
– total case of production.
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