Comparative assessment of medicinal plant, probiotic, and antibiotic supplementation on the growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of broiler chicken
Abstract
Objectives: Due to rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance to antibiotic growth promoters, the use of natural feed additives is a safer alternative in poultry production. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the impact of dietary supplementation of moringa, yeast, and antibiotics on the overall productivity of broiler chicken. Materials and Methods: A total of 240-day-old chicks were allocated into 4 dietary treatments (60 chicks/treatment), namely CD = Control diet, CDM = Control diet + 2.5% moringa leaf powder, CDY = Control diet + 2.5% yeast, and CDA = Control diet + 0.015% antibiotic, each having six replications (10 chicks/replication) for a period of 35 days. Results: The final body weight (1736 gm) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the CDA group than in the others. In feed intake, there were no significant (p > 0.05) differences, but FCR and digestibility were improved in the CDA and CDY groups. Bone mineralization increased in the CDM group. Treatment groups showed significantly higher dressing yield and meat yield than the control (p < 0.05). The cooking loss, drip loss, water-holding capacity, TBARS value, and redness of color showed better results (p < 0.05) in the moringa and yeast groups than the control and antibiotic groups. The meat protein content was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the CDM (21.68%) and CDY (21.10%) groups compared to CDA (20.33%). Lower fat content was recorded in the CDM (1.12%) and higher in the CDA (1.67%) group. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the moringa or yeast-supplemented feeds are suitable options and appear to be promising choices for producing safe meat with improved nutritional quality.