SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF NEEM LEAF (Azardirachta indica) AND SWEET POTATO (Ipomoea batatas) ON BROILER PRODUCTION

Abstract

A total of 120 day old “Cobb-500” broiler chicks were reared in the poultry farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, to evaluate the growth performance of broiler fed diet containing neem leaf powder (NLP) and sweet potato powder (SPP). Chicks were divided randomly into 4 experimental group with 3 replications of each group. Each replication contains 10 chicks. One of the 4 experimental group was fed with antibiotics in basal diet and considered as control group (T 0 ); the remain three groups were fed diet with (2 g NLP + 2 g SPP)/kg feed (T 1 ), (2 g NLP + 4 g SPP)/kg feed (T 2 ), and (2 g NLP + 6 g SPP)/kg feed (T 3 ). Experiment revealed that the relative final live weight (g) of broiler chicken in T 3 (1875.4 a ±23.27) group were significantly (P<0.05) higher than other groups. Feed conversion ratio of T 1

(1.3133 b ±.008) was significantly (P<0.05) better than other groups including control T 0 (1.3367 a ±0.03). Feed conversion ratio in T 3 (1.3333 a ±0.03) was also better than control group T 0 (1.3367 a ±0.03) without any statistically significant (P<0.05) differences. The dressing percentage of broiler were 66.66 b ±0.82%, 67.30 ±2.07, 67.64 a ±1.3% and 64.68 c ±1.33% in T 1 ,T 2, T 3 and T 0 respectively. All treatment groups were significantly (P< 0.05) higher than the control group. The relative weight (g) of liver were 41.0 a ±.57, 41.0 a ±.57, 45.6 ab ±5.78 and 54.3 b ±2.02 in T 0 and T 3 respectively; the relative weight of heart were 9.817±.14, 10.167±.35, 10.100±.56 and 10.933±.31 in T 0 , T 1 ,T 2 and T 3 respectively; the relative weight of gizzard 37.167±.52, 38.033±1.92), 39.000±1.41 and 40.400±.15 in T 0 , T 1

respectively. The weight of liver, heart and gizzard in T 3 were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the other groups including control. The feed consumption; body weight gains (g); survivability rate; carcass weight; weight of intestine; immune organ (spleen) and flock uniformity of broiler chicken were no significant (P>0.05) difference among the treatment and control groups. The profit per bird were 57.7367 a ±.09, 57.9233 a ±1.33, 56.0067 a ±1.36 and 62.3933 b ±1.33 in T 0

respectively. T 3 was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than all groups including control group. The experiment recommended that neem leaf powder and sweet potato powder can be use at the concentration of (2 g NLP + 6 g SPP)/kg feed in broiler production.