EFFECTS OF USING NEEM LEAF (Azadirachta indica) IN BROILER RATION AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANTIBIOTIC FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SAFE MEAT

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University poultry farm, to evaluate the productive performance of commercial broiler chicks fed Dried Neem Leaf Powder (DNLP) containing diets comparison to antibiotic based diet. A total of 180 day old Cobb-500 broiler chicks were divided randomly into 6 experimental groups of 3 replicates each with 10 chicks per replications. Commercial starter and grower feed were used as basal diet which contained minimum 21% CP, 3000 ME Kcal/Kg and 19% CP, 3200 ME Kcal/Kg respectively. One of the 6 experimental group was fed as control diet (basal) while, the remaining five groups were fed basal diet along with DNLP (1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% and antibiotic). Significantly (P<0.05) highest hemoglobin (16.33 gm/dl) was found in 2.0% DNLP fed group of broiler chicken than other groups. No significant (P>0.05) difference was found in glucose and cholesterol for any treatment groups but significantly lowest (P<0.05) uric acid was observed in 1.5% DNLP treated group than antibiotic group. The DNLP treated fed groups broiler chicken showed no significant (P>0.05) difference in neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils counts comparing with antibiotic and control groups. Neem treated fed groups showed significantly (P<0.05) higher liver weight (43.67±1.764 ) g than antibiotic treated group (31.0±2.082 b g). Spleen weights were not affected (P>0.05) by any treatments. The highest (P<0.05) viable bacteria was found in control group (16.3 x 10 ) then antibiotic treated group (3.3 x 10 5 ). But, neem and antibiotic treated groups showed no significant (P>0.05) difference among them. There is no significant differences (P>0.05) in dressing percentage among all treated groups. Feed consumption is significantly less in 2% and 2.5% neem leaf treated groups but feed conversion ratio is comparatively greater in 2% and 2.5% neem leaf treated group than any other treated groups. The results showed that the birds fed 1.5% DNLP diets achieved superior body weights among all groups. The results of the study demonstrate the beneficial effects of supplementing DNLP on body weight gain and FCR in the treated groups in broiler chicken. DNLP is, therefore, suggested 2.5% to be used as an alternative of antibiotics on broiler chicken ration for higher profitability. Keywords: Antibiotic alternative; broiler; growth performance; Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf meal; hematological parameter. a to 46.67±4.410 5 a