Dharam Vir Singh
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, India
Title: Assessment the Effect of Different Levels of Azolla (Azolla pinnata) on Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Cobb Broiler Chicks
Biography
Biography: Dharam Vir Singh
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of Azolla (Azolla pinnata) on performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicks. 400 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb-500) with 4 treatments and replications (25 birds per replicate) were used. Experimental diets were a corn-soybean based diet with no Azolla (control) and diets containing 5, 10 and 15 % of Azolla. Results indicated that in all rearing periods between treatments, chickens fed diets containing 5 % Azolla powder significantly (p<0.01) had an improved daily weight gain (DWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to other diets. So that the lowest feed intake, the highest weight gain and lowest (best) feed conversion ratio is related to diets containing 5% Azolla. There were no mortality among the experimental groups. Supplementation of 5% Azolla powder significantly increased of carcass efficiency percentage (p<0.01) and thigh relative percentage (p<0.05) while, the lowest its percentage is related to diets containing 15% Azolla. There were no significant differences among treatments for abdominal fat, liver, gizzard and breast relative percentage. The lowest feed cost per kg of body weight was observed in diets containing 5%Azolla.