Effects of different levels of mixed medicinal plants of Urtica dioica L., Mentha pulegium L. and Ziziphora tenuior L. on performance, carcass traits, hematological and blood biochemical parameters of broilers

Due to the ease of application, abundance and lack of significant side effects medicinal plants and their derivatives are used for poultry as effective additives. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of nettle (Urtica dioica L.), pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.) and ziziphora (Ziziphora tenuior L.) on performance, carcass traits, blood hematological and biochemical parameters of broilers. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design including 324 broilers (Ross 308) with 9 treatments and3 replications (each replication included 12 hens) from age 1 to 42 days. Experimental groups included I) control group with no medicinal plants, and in other treatments the levels of medicinal plants in starter and grower periods were as II) 0.75% III) 0 and 0.75%, IV) 0.75% and 1.5%, V) 1.5% and 0.75%, VI) 0.75% and 1.5%, VII) 0 and 1.5%, VIII) 1.5% and 0, IX) 1.5% in both periods. The results showed that different levels of medicinal plants in starter and grower periods had significant effects on performance, carcass traits and hematological status of broilers (p < 0.05). According to the results, the highest daily weight gain (59.75g), the lowest feed conversion (1.90) the highest carcass percentage (74.04) and the highest percentage of gizzard (2.77) were observed in group 3, whereas the best level of white blood cells was observed in group 9, but there were no significant differences between experimental groups and control group in terms of performance and blood hematological parameters.