Growth and sensory evaluation of broilers supplemented with Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) extract in drinking water

Abstract

Abstract:The study was conducted using 90 heads of broiler chicken consisting of five treatments with 3 replications and arranged in complete randomized design (CRD). The final weight of the broilers was significantly affected by aloe vera extract supplementation. The result showed that adding 5-20 mL. Aloe vera extract in drinking water significantly improved the growth rate of broilers as compared to those given plain water. The average feed consumption data showed significant differences among treatments. Almost similar feed intake was shown by birds given 5-10 ml. supplements, which did not differ from the control (plain water). The highest feed consumption was exhibited by the birds given 15 ml. Aloe vera extract. No significant difference in the FCR among treatments. Higher water consumption was exhibited by the birds in T3 those with 15 ml Aloe extract. The panelists' rating on skin and flesh color indicated no significant differences among treatments based on Freidman's two-way analysis of variance by rank. For the general acceptability of the cooked samples, all treatments were rated by the panelist as "acceptable" having a range of 4.02 to 4.54, the highest score was obtained by the group with 15 mL aloe extract in drinking water. The result indicates that aloe vera extract can be used as growth enhancer to broilers without affecting its carcass quality.