This experiment aimed to study the effect of dietary thyme and turmeric essential oils supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization and economics of Japanese quails. For this purpose, a total of 180 six-day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly assigned into five different treatment groups, each with three replicates (12 birds per replicate). The experiment was conducted for 35 days. Different treatment groups of Japanese quails were designated as T0 (Basal diet without essential oils), T1 (Basal diet with 0.2% thyme essential oil), T2 (Basal diet with 0.3% turmeric essential oil, T3 (Basal diet with 0.125% thyme + 0.075% turmeric essential oils), and T4 (Basal diet with 0.075% thyme + 0.125 % turmeric essential oils). At the end of experiment, it was found that dietary supplementation of thyme and turmeric essential oils reduced feed consumption, improved body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio, with Japanese quails of T4 group showing best performance during overall experimental period. The feed cost per kg weight gain was minimum in treatment T4 over other treatment groups. Addition of thyme and turmeric essential oils in diet significantly enhanced nutrient utilization in Japanese quails. In conclusion, supplementing thyme and turmeric essential oils in combination at 0.075% and 0.125% of feed improved growth performance, utilization of nutrients and reduced feed cost per kg weight gain in Japanese quails.

A study was conducted on 100, day old guinea fowls (Pearl variety) for 12 weeks to study the efficacy  of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) and kalonji (Nigella sativa) seed powder supplementation  on carcass traits and meat composition of thigh and breast. The experimental guinea fowls were  randomly divided into five treatment groups viz. T1 control, T2 (2.0% fenugreek seed powder), T3  (1.0% kalonji seed powder), T4 (2.0% fenugreek +1.0% kalonji seed powder) and T5 (1.0%  fenugreek + 0.5% kalonji seed powder), with two replications of ten guinea fowls each. The  supplementation was done for 84 days. On 84th day, three guinea fowls from each replicate (6 guinea  fowls/treatment) were sacrificed for study of carcass yield, cut up parts, organ weights and processing  losses. The results indicated that dietary fenugreek and kalonji seed powder supplementation in  guinea fowls improved dressed yield in T4 group of guinea fowls. Cut up parts in terms of thigh  weights were improved in fenugreek and kalonji seed powder supplemented groups with maximum  weight observed in T5 group of guinea fowls whereas breast weight was significantly increased in T4  group of guinea fowls. From the results of present study, it can be concluded that combination of  fenugreek (2%) and kalonji (1%) seed powder through feed may be advised to improve carcass yield  in guinea fowls.

The present study was carried out to perceive the effects of dietary supplementation of nano-chromium on nutrient utilization and carcass traits in broiler chickens. For this, 120 unsexed day-old broiler chickens were procured and randomly allocated into four different treatment groups with three replicates in each. The control group (T0) was fed with a standard basal diet as per BIS (2007). Treatment groups T1, T2, and T3 were fed the basal diet with 400, 800, and 1600 ppb levels of nano-chromium, respectively for six weeks. Dry matter, crude protein, and total carbohydrate metabolizability were significantly improved in treatment groups T2 and T3; while organic matter and ether extract retention were found significantly higher in treatment groups T1, T2, and T3 when compared with a control group. There was no significant difference in the yield of cut-up parts (% live body weight). The supplementation of nano-chromium did not bring any significant changes in processing loss i.e. blood, feather, head, and shank, but abdominal fat was significantly reduced with increasing levels of nano-chromium. Hence, it can be concluded that dietary supplementation of 1600 ppb nano-chromium in the diet of broiler chicken improved nutrient utilization and lowered abdominal fat in broiler chicken.

The present study was conducted to seek herbal alternatives and nutritional modulation to solve the  problem of coccidiosis, a deadly protozoan disease of broilers. For the purpose, an experiment of 35  days’ duration (days 0-21 pre-infection period and days 22-35 post-infection period) was conducted  to test the efficacy of herbal/natural products/dietary nutrients for the management of mixed coccidial  infection prevalent under field conditions. For this purpose wheat grass juice, chelated mineral  supplement, herbal anticoccidial and seeds of Embelia ribes without and with sodium bicarbonate,  organic chromium, herbal vitamin E-Selenium without and with organic chromium were used to study  the immunological parameters of un-infected and infected broilers with 60,000 sporulated oocysts of  mixed Eimeria species. Results of the experiment revealed that LST in terms of delta optical density  of T- and B-cells was maximum in wheat grass juice while ELISA titre against Newcastle Disease  was maximum in herbal vitamin E-Selenium group. All the types of dietary modulation were found to  be effective up to different extent in the management of poultry coccidiosis. Further research should  focus on micro-array and proteomic technologies to solve the problem.