Effects of Chicory Powder and Butyric Acid Combination on Performance, Carcass Traits and some Blood Parameters in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of chicory root and stem powder (CRSP) and butyric acid (BA) combination on the performance, carcass traits, relative weight of internal organs and some blood parameters in broiler chickens. Two hundred and forty one-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments with six replicates of 10 birds each. The treatments were: 1) basal diet without CRSP and BA (control group), 2) basal diet + 15 g/kg CRSP + 0.3% BA (CRSP15), 3) basal diet + 30 g/kg CRSP + 0.3% BA (CRSP30) and 4) basal diet + 45 g/kg CRSP + 0.3% BA (CRSP45). At day forty six, two birds per replicate (pen) were randomly selected and slaughtered for carcass traits and some blood parameter measurements. The results showed that body weight gain of birds fed CRSP45 diet was significantly (P<0.05) higher than those fed on the other treatment diets during starter (1-21 d), grower (22-46 d) and whole experimental period (1-46 d). The drumstick and breast yield as a percentage of live body weight were significantly (P<0.05) higher in birds fed CRSP45 diet compared with those fed the control diet. There were not significant effect (P>0.05) of dietary treatments on serum biochemical parameters and relative weights of abdominal organs excluding the liver.