Growth Performance of Broiler Chicks Fed Varying Dietary Levels of Artemisia annua (Sweet Wormwood)

Abstract

The study was conducted to investigate the growth performance of broiler chicks fed varying dietary levels of Artemisia annua. A total of 90 fourteen-day old broiler chicks were used for the study. The study lasted four weeks. The broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five groups and fed diets containing five levels of A. annua (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g per kg of diet, respectively). Each group was replicated three times with six birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). The results showed that no significant (p > 0.05) differences existed among treatments in average daily weight gain, daily feed intake and total weight gain of birds, but significant (p < 0.05) differences occurred in final body weight of birds with treatment 2 birds having the highest mean value(1115.00 g). It was concluded that A. annua leaf meal can be included in the diet of starter broilers at 200 g per kg of diet without any deleterious effect on the growth performance of birds.