Seyyed Majid Azarm; Somayyeh Salari; Mohsen Sari; Mohammad Reza Ghorbani; Mohammad Hojjati
Volume 22, Issue 2 , June 2020, , Pages 301-312
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Thyme essential oil on performance and some physiological parameters of broiler chickens fed diets containing wheat in a completely randomized design with a 2×3 factorial arrangement using 264 broilers (Ross 308) in ground floor. Treatments ...
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This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Thyme essential oil on performance and some physiological parameters of broiler chickens fed diets containing wheat in a completely randomized design with a 2×3 factorial arrangement using 264 broilers (Ross 308) in ground floor. Treatments consisted of 2 levels of wheat (0 and 50% of the diet) and 3 levels of essential oil of Thyme (0, 200 and 400 ppm). Performance parameters were recorded weekly. Determination of micro-flora, carcass characteristics, and blood parameters were done on day 42. The results showed that adding the Thyme essential oil to the diet containing 50% wheat increased feed intake at the all period of experiment. Body weight gain was increased significantly in the birds that consumed 50% wheat with 400 ppm essence compared to the birds consumed the diet without wheat or without essence at the starter period. The birds consumed the diet without wheat with essence had lower blood concentration of LDL. Although, adding essence at the level of 400 ppm to the diet without wheat increased significantly blood concentration of HDL. The diet contained 50% wheat without essence had higher abdominal fat compared to the diet with 200 and 400 ppm of essence without wheat and also the diet contained 50% wheat with 400 ppm essence. Overall, the use of Thyme essence at the level of 400 ppm in wheat-based diet is recommended for increasing feed intake and improving some physiological parameters of broiler chickens.