Effect of Different Levels of Date Waste in Diet on Performance and Immune Response of Broilers

Effect of different levels of date waste were studied on performance and immune responses of 240 Ross 308 broiler chicks in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 4 replicates and 12 birds in each replicate. The whole date waste were analyzed for chemical compositions and gradual levels of 0 (control), 5, 10, 15 and 20 percent of that were included into the diets which fed broilers for 42 days. Growth performance was recorded, weekly. Humoral immune response was evaluated by intramuscular injection of 0.1 ml sheep red blood cell (SRBC) 25 percent suspension on days 8 and 22 of age and serum antibody levels produced in response to SRBC was measured on days 21, 28, 35 and 42. Cellular immune response was assessed by intradermal injection of phytohemaglutinin on day 16. Using date waste in diet had no significant effect on daily feed intake. Daily weight gain was linearly decreased by increasing the levels of dates waste in diet (P