A study was conducted to determine the performance, carcase and gastrointestinal tract (gut) characteristics of broilers fed diets supplemented with dry peppermint (<I>Mentha piperita</I> L.) or thyme (<I>Thymus vulgaris</I> L.) leaves, which are among the alternative growth promoters. In the study, 312 one-week-old broilers (Ross-308) were used. There were 3 dietary treatments, each consisting of 4 replications (13 males and 13 females in each replication). The control group was fed basal diet, while the peppermint and thyme groups were fed diets supplemented with 0.2% peppermint or thyme (w/w) as menthol and thymol (70 mg per kg diet) sources, respectively. From 7 days to 35 days of age, the body weight gain was higher (<I>P</I> < 0.05) in broilers fed the peppermint-supplemented diet compared to the control, but the effect of peppermint on body weight gain disappeared at 42 days of age. Feed intake, feed to gain ratio, carcase weight, carcase yield, and the relative weights of the edible inner organs and whole gut, and the relative length of the whole gut were not significantly affected by peppermint and thyme contents. The peppermint or thyme leaves increased (<I>P</I> < 0.05) the abdominal fat pad at 42 days of age. Thus, the dry peppermint leaves had a higher growth promoting efficacy than the dry thyme leaves at an early stage of broilers’ life, but an increase in abdominal fat should be taken into account for carcase quality and processing.

Feeding with a diet containing HS caused a measurable variation in the meat quality and blood cholesterol as well as the performance, carcass, and gut traits of broilers.

The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of different doses of humic substances (HS) in waterer pan on broiler performances and meat quality. For the trial, 480 chicks (ROSS 308) were allocated into four groups (HS0, HS150, HS300 and HS450) of 120 equally mixed-sex birds, each receiving a drinking water supplemented with 0, 150, 300 and 450 ppm of a humic acid (provided by 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% of HS, v/v) respectively. At the age of 21 and 42 days, feed consumption and live weight were taken. At the age of 42 days, 16 birds per treatment were slaughtered, dressing percentages, digestive tract traits were evaluated and samples of breast (pectoralis major) and thigh (iliotibialis) meat were taken to evaluate the changes in colour characteristics (CIE L*, a* and b*) and chemical composition. The body weight gain increased by the HS300 in relation to the HS0 and HS450, and decreased by the HS450 in relation to the HS0. The feed consumption of birds in the HS450 and feed efficiency of birds in the HS300 were lower and higher than those in the other treatments respectively. The carcass weight of broilers in the HS150 and HS300 were higher than those of in the HS0 and HS450. The carcass weight decreased by the HS450 in relation to the other treatments. The dressing percentage increased by the HS150 in relation to the HS450. The HS450 resulted in breast and thigh meat colour that were lighter than those found in the HS0 birds. The HS450 increased fat content of thigh meat in relation to the HS0. It was concluded that the humic acid supplementation at 300 ppm and 450 ppm appears to have a measurable impact on live performance improving feed efficiency and lightness of breast and thigh meat colours in broilers respectively.

This experiment was conducted to measure the effects of olive leaf powder on performance, egg yield, egg quality and yolk cholesterol level of laying hens. A total of 120 Lohmann Brown laying hens of 22 weeks old were used in this experiment. The birds were fed on standard layer diets containing 0, 1%, 2%, or 3% olive leaf powder for 8 weeks. Egg weight and yield were recorded daily; feed intake weekly; egg quality and cholesterol content at the end of the trial. Olive leaf powder had no effect on feed intake, egg weight, egg yield and feed conversion ratio (p>0.05) while olive leaf powder increased final body weight of hens (p<0.05). Dietary olive leaf powder increased yellowness in yolk color (p<0.01) without affecting other quality parameters. Yolk cholesterol content was tended to decrease about 10% (p>0.05). To conclude, olive leaf powder can be used for reducing egg yolk cholesterol content and egg yolk coloring agent in layer diets.

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To evaluate the e ect of malic acid (MA) on performance and some digestive tract (gut) traits of Japanese quails, quails were divided into treatment groups each with replicates containing birds. While one of groups was fed a mash form basal diet with no additives ( MA), other groups were fed the diets with malic acid at . ( . MA), . ( . MA) or . ( . MA) g/kg from to d of age. The weight gains of . MA and . MA birds and the feed consumption of . MA were higher than those of MA. Addition of the malic acid to the diets did not a ect the feed e ciency. The . MA birds had a higher carcass weight compared to other groups. The . MA birds had a higher gut length compared to the MA. The results indicated that feeding diets with malic acid at . and . g/kg might increase weight gain and feed consumption without a ecting feed e ciency and a significant benefit of feeding diet with malic acid at . g/kg compared to the control diet was obtained in terms of carcass weight in the Japanese quails.