Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) Root Powder as Natural Feed Additive for Broiler Chicks

The study targeted effect of addition of ginger root powder as natural feed additive on growth performance and blood constituents of broiler chicks. One hundred and sixty unsexed one day-old broiler chicks strain (Ross) were divided randomly into four groups. Each represented a treatment (40 birds/treatment) with 4 replicates in a completely randomized design. In addition to the control diet (0.0% ginger root powder), three diets were formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of broiler chicks according to NRC (1994), with graded levels of ginger root powder 0.5%, 0.75% and 1%. Weekly average feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were recorded blood samples were taken to determine the content of glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride. The results showed no significant differences (P>0.05) in the final body weight (1103.3g, 1140.2g, 1141.2g and 1146.9g) between the four treatments. Also, there were no significant differences in total feed intake (2266.1g, 2432.6g, 2396.3g and 2443.6g), total body weight gain (1064.3g, 1101.2g, 1102.2g and 1107.8g), and feed conversion ratio among all dietary treatments. Moreover, no significant differences were obtained in serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride among the four treatments. Mortality rate was 2.5%, 3.75%, 3.12%, and 0.62% for the four treatments (0.0% 0.5%, 0.75% and 1%.ginger) respectively. Chicks tolerated up to 1% ginger without adverse effect on growth performance and blood parameters.