Garlic (Allium sativum) Powder as an Additive in Broilers (1-28 Days). Phase 1: Growth Performance and Hypocholesterolemic Effects

Abstract

Garlic cloves were purchased from the local market and made into powdery form by mincing and sun-drying. One hundred and ninety-two day old commercial broilers were randomly allotted to four treatments and four replicates. Garlic powder was introduced into the experimental broiler diets as an additive at 0 gKg-1 (control diet), 2 gKg-1, 3 gKg-1 and 4 gKg-1 inclusion levels in diets 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The performance parameters in the experiment were progressively improved by increasing dietary garlic powder from 2 gKg-1 up to 3 gKg-1 and reduced thereafter when dietary garlic powder level was beyond 3 gKg-1 garlic inclusion. The experimental birds were given feed and water ad-libitum while this phase lasted a period of 28 days (starter phase). The best growth performance and carcass characteristics (highest percentage dressed weight, percentage eviscerated weight, thigh, drumstick, and wing) were achieved at 2 gKg-1 garlic addition. The investigated serum constituents indicated a facilitation of hypocholesterolemic functions from the group of birds fed with diet containing 2 gKg-1 garlic. The inclusion level of garlic at 2 gKg-1 in the present experiment appeared to be most suitable as an additive in broiler starter phase (1-28 days) diets capable of engendering growth performance while also exhibiting hypocholesterolemic tendencies.