Survey on the effect of malt extract on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens

Malt extract exhibits antioxidant activities both in vitro and in vivo. In order to study the effect of malt extract on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicks, a total of 180 day-old broiler chicks were purchased and divided accidentally into 4 equal groups and each group to 3 subgroup of 15 chicks. Chicks of groups A, B and C received 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.5% of malt extract respectively in drinking water all period of experiment for forty-two days. Chicks of group D were kept as control group and did not receive malt extract. Feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of each group were determined at 21, and 42 days. At the end of the experiment, two chickens from each replication were killed to investigate the carcass characteristics. This study showed that receiving malt extract in drinking water had no effect on mean feed conversion ratio, carcas percentage, abdominal fat, crop, gizzard, pancreas, liver and heart weight compared with control group.