Performance and Blood Chemistry of Broiler Birds Fed Different Levels of Dietary Rashad (Lepidium Sativum)
Fatima M. Ali, Khadiga A. Abdel Atti, Bakheit. M. Dousa and Khalid M. Elamin
Date : 2013-11-27 Volume : 5

Effects of supplementing diets with rashad (Lepidium sativium) on performance and blood parameters of broiler chicks was investigated using 128 Cobb strain unsexed day old broilers were randomly distributed into four dietary treatments and each contained four replicates (8 birds/replicate). The birds were assigned to four isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets containing (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%) rashad. Feed and water were provided ad libitum till the termination of the trial after 42 days. Growth performance parameters and blood parameters (serum lipids, cholesterol and total protein) were measured. No significant (P > 0.05) differences were observed between dietary treatment groups for feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of six weeks old broiler chicks. Total serum lipids increased significantly (P < 0.05) by feeding diets containing rashad at levels 0.5% (446.20 mg/100ml), 1% (432.37 mg/100ml) and 1.5% (577.33 mg/100ml) compared to control (0% rashad) (393.43 mg/100ml). Cholesterol levels also increased significantly (P < 0.05) by feeding diets containing 0.5% rashad (176.97 mg/100ml), 1% rashad (176.63 mg/100ml) and 1.5% rashad (178.6763 mg/100ml) rashad compared to control group (147.27 mg/100ml). The different levels of dietary rashad had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on serum total protein content. Economically birds received 0.5 and 1% rashad obtained low cost of production and better effect on net profit than control groups. 1368709198.php