Effect of Scent Leaf (Ocimum Gratissimum) Supplemented Diets on Growth Performance, Carcass and Gut Microbial Integrity of Broiler Chickens

Mohammed Alhassan; D. Yahaya; N. A. Yakubu

Abstract

The growth performance, carcass composition, and gut E. coli and Lactobacillus loads of broiler chickens fed supplemented scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum) diets were evaluated over five weeks. Fresh leaves of scent leaf were harvested, thoroughly washed, and shade-dried to a moisture content of about 12% and further ground into powder form for use as feed supplement. Ninety 21-day-old chicks were randomly selected and assigned five dietary treatments in triplicate lots. The five treatments included treatment 1 as the control, treatment 2 containing 1g of oxytetracycline per kilogram of feed, and treatments 3, 4, and 5 containing 5g, 10g and 15g of scent leaf per kg of feed, respectively. There were significant (P<0.05) differences observed in the feed intake of birds on the control diet and diets containing scent leaf supplements. The highest feed intake levels were found in the birds fed with diets containing 10 g/kg and 15 g/kg scent leaf supplements (P<0.05) respectively. Carcass dress weight was significantly higher (P<0.05) in birds fed diets containing oxytetracycline and 10g/kg scent leaf supplement respectively. There was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in E. coli concentration between the birds fed the control diet and those fed diets containing scent leaf supplements. Furthermore, birds fed diets containing 10 g/kg of scent leaf supplements had the highest (P<0.05) concentration of Lactobacillus. It can be concluded that the inclusion of scent leaf supplements in broiler chicken diets at 10g /kg has the potential to improve the growth performance and gut health of broiler chickens and can replace antibiotics, especially oxytetracycline, in broiler chicken production.

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