Effect of feeding cinnamon and garlic as an alternative to antibiotic on growth performance and carcass characteristics in broiler

Abstract

ABSTRACT The experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of feeding cinnamon and garlic on growth performance, carcass yield and immune parameters in commercial broiler. A total of 225 one-day-old Lohman meat (Indian river) broiler chicks have an average body weight of 40±0.50 g were divided into 5 dietary treatment groups. The treatments were T0= control (basal feed), T1= basal feed + antibiotic, T2= basal feed + 0.2% cinnamon, T3= basal feed + 0.2% garlic and T4= basal feed + 0.2% cinnamon + 0.2% garlic. The average live weight and body weight gain were significantly (P<0.05) increased in the 0.2% cinnamon + 0.2% garlic treated group compared with others. Improved FCR was observed in birds fed a combined addition of 0.2% cinnamon and 0.2% garlic with the basal diet than the other treatment groups. All the supplemented group significantly increased the proportion of breast meat compared to control, while wing and back meat was higher in the T2, T3 and T4 supplemented group compared to T0 and T1 group (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation of T2, T3 and T4 also increased the weight of liver, heart, neck, gizzard and giblet (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation of T1, T2, T3 and T4 significantly reduced the concentration of blood WBC and Granulocyte. Taken together, it can be concluded that the use of 0.2% cinnamon and 0.2% garlic in broiler diet separately or combined resulted in improved growth performance, carcass yields, and immunity in broiler chickens and therefore can be recommended as alternatives to antibiotics.