A Mixture of Thyme, Quillaja, and Anise at Different Nutrient Density on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Meat Quality, Organ Weight, Cecal Bacteria, Excreta Moisture, and Bone Contents in Broiler Chicks

Abstract

The experiment was carried out on 648 Ross 308 broilers (40.4±0.2 g; 1 d) chickens. It lasted for 28 days to evaluate the effects of phytogenic feed additive (PFA) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, cecum microbiota, bone minerals contents, meat quality and internal organ weights. The chickens were haphazardly divided into any 1 of 6 dietary treatments (6 replicate pens/treatment; 18 broilers/pen). The experimental diets were: CON, control; T1, CON + 150 ppm PFA; T2, CP 0.5% reduced from basal diet; T3, T2 + 150 ppm PFA; T4, Ca 0.07% reduced + available P (aP) 0.065% reduced from basal diet; T5, T4 + 150 ppm PFA. Overall, broilers fed with T3 diet tended to have higher (P=0.08) body weight gain (BWG), and lower (P=0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) than T2 diet. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of P was lower (P=0.03) in T2 as compared to CON and it was higher (P=0.02) in T3 as compared to T2. There were no differences in meat quality, relative organ weight, and cecum microbiota (P>0.05). The supplementation of PFA showed trends in improvement in ash content in the bone of birds fed T1, T2 and T4 diets compared with CON. Likewise, the supplementation of PFA tended to increase (P=0.07) Ca content in the bone of birds fed T1 diet compared to CON. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 150 ppm PFA could improve BWG in birds fed protein reduced diet, improve apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of P, and the bone Ca contents in broilers.