Performance and Hematological Characteristics of Starter Broilers Fed Diet Supplemented with Turmeric (Curcuma longa) meal

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to assess the growth performance and haematological assay of broiler chickens at starter phase given diets supplemented with processed turmeric (Curcuma longa). Ninety-six (96), two weeks old unsexed “Agritech” broiler birds were randomly allocated in a completely randomized design (CRD) into four treatments (having 24 birds each), with three replicates per treatment (having 8 birds per replicate). The treatment groups were denoted as T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. Feed and water were given without restriction. All dietary treatments had processed turmeric portion except the control which had none. Supplementation of processed turmeric in the diet of starter broiler significantly (p<0.05) influenced the final live weight, daily feed intake, daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. The processed turmeric treated group had poor performance in all traits compared to the control. Mean values of all haematological parameters evaluated namely, packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) differed significantly (p<0.05) between the control and the treated group. However, all the values were within the recommended range value. It was concluded that processed turmeric could be safely used as a phyto-additive in starter broiler chickens, preferably in the feed.