Effect of Dried Azolla on Growth Performance, Hematological, Biochemical, Antioxidant Parameters, and Economic Efficiency of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

P oultry industry becomes one of the most expanding sectors in the world as it helps to fulfill the gap between the requirement and the availability of high-quality protein for human consumption, leading to increase demand for higher and safer protein source (Alkhalf et al., 2010). Feed is considered the largest single production cost in broiler production and can constitute up to 80% of total livestock production costs and 86-87% of the total variable production cost (Davis et al., 2013). The shortage of feed is the most important problem that hinders the development of the poultry industry all over the world (Naghshi et al., 2014). The incorporation of conventional feed ingredients, like maize, soya bean, fish etc., in poultry feed has caused an enormous increase in the cost of feed, thus

Use of Azolla Plant in Broiler Diets and its Effect on Productive Performance

“…Table (5) showed that the addition of Azolla(4.5,9,13.5)% did not significantly affect the rate of weight gain compared to control during the different breeding period, as well as the total weight gain, which respectively amounted to (3169.17, 2935.67, 3062.33, 2987.33) g for the treatments, respectively, and this is in line with the performance of birds in the rate Body weight (Table 3), relative growth (Table 4) and conversion factor (Table 7) with an improvement in economic indicators (Index, production coefficient and productivity per square meter, Table 9). These results agreed with the researcher [20,21] and these results differed with the researcher [1,22,2] Table (6) shows that the addition of Azolla at a rate of (4.5, 9, 13.5%) did not significantly affect the relative growth rate during the breeding weeks, and despite the absence of a significant effect of the replacement treatments, however, in the sixth week, the relative growth rate increased significantly for these treatments compared to the control (without replacement) where it reached (37.74, 34.84, 35.60) compared with (18%), as it gave an increase in growth by (19.75, 16.79, 17.60%) over the control treatment. And also the relative growth rates for the total education period (1 day -42 days), which amounted to (65.97, 64.78, 65.51, 65.75%), respectively Table (7) shows that there is a significant effect of the treatments of adding Azolla by (4.5,9,13.5)%, as it increased the feed consumption in the first two weeks of breeding compared to the control treatment, and with the age of the birds, we note the disappearance of this effect in the weeks of breeding and in the total consumed feed for the period ( 0-6) weeks, where it reached (4871.8, 5089.8, 4794.1, 5000.37) gm for the control treatment and for the addition treatments (3.5, 7.0, 9.5)%, respectively.…”

“…Table (8) showed that the addition of Azolla at a rate of (4.5, 9, 13.5)% to the diet did not significantly affect the feed conversion coefficient during the rearing weeks compared to the control, as well as the total conversion coefficient for the period (1 day -6 weeks), which amounted to (1.607, 1.627). , 1.607, 1.633) gm feed / gm weight gain, and the reason may be due to the fact that the Azolla protein was able to reach a benefit coefficient equal to the protein of the diet replaced by the feed, as it gave the same productive performance to the birds, and these results were in line with Table (3) regarding live body weight and Table (4) regarding weight gain and with the table (5) concerning the relative growth rate and agreed with [24,5,11,12,21] and it differed [26,25,27,14,1,16,18,12,22,20,2]. Significantly different letters indicate that there are significant differences between the means under the probability (p ≤ 0.05).…”

“…Additional fodder than the control treatment due to its need for a relatively high protein ratio, and confirms its retention of the same product, which is represented by body weight, weight gain, and the food conversion coefficient. Findings with [23,24,5,18,12,20,13,5] upon addition, and the results differed with [25,14,1,16,9,3,2,22]. Table (8) showed that the addition of Azolla at a rate of (4.5, 9, 13.5)% to the diet did not significantly affect the feed conversion coefficient during the rearing weeks compared to the control, as well as the total conversion coefficient for the period (1 day -6 weeks), which amounted to (1.607, 1.627).…”

“…Azolla was analyzed in the laboratory as shown in Table (1). *Calculated according to [4] Feed was provided manually, continuously and freely (ad-libtum), and the chicks were fed on two diets during the study period, which were formulated according to the recommendations approved by the American Research Council [8], shown in Tables (2,3). *Calculated according to [8] In this study, a field of the half-open system was used, divided into (12) pens, then the chicks were weighed at the age of one day, and the average initial weight was taken, which amounted to 47.1 g, which was distributed to the replicates and weighed every week of age for each repeater, and this continued until the end of the 42-day experiment period.…”

“…Livestock production suffers from a shortage of fodder materials, Also, many of the traditional materials used, such as soybeans, have increased in price due to the demand for green fodder plants, including aquatic plants, which are recently been used as cheap animal feed and as a partial substitute for traditional proteins in feeding large animals and in broiler chickens [1]. Whether green or after drying, due to its high content of nutrients, it can also be considered a protein supplement and a source of amino acids such as lysine, methionine, histidine, and beneficial minerals [2,3,4]. Azolla is a floating water fern that contains many essential amino acids, vitamins such as (vitamin A and B12) and many minerals [5], The Azolla plant also contains probiotics, carotenoids, and biopolymers [6].…”