Comparison between the effect of Thymus vulgaris L., Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench., Allium sativum L. extracts and virginiamycin antibiotic on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Broilers

This experiment was designed to investigate the comparison of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench.), garlic (Allium sativum L.) extracts and virginiamycin antibiotic as growth promoter in poultry industry on performance and carcass characteristics of Broilers. A total four hundred and eighty 1-day old male broiler (Ross strain) chicks were assigned to the basal diet (control) and basal diet supplemented with 0.15% virginiamycin, 0.1% extracts of thyme (Thymus vulgaris), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), garlic (Allium sativum) and mixture of extracts with the same dose. At the end of the experiment two chickens from each replication were randomly selected and killed to investigate the weigh of digestive organs and fat pad. There was significant difference in feed conversion ratio (FCR) between the treatments (p<0.05). Highest and lowest body weight and weight gain respected to virginiamycin and coneflower, (p<0.05) respectively. Virginiamycin increased feed consumption but this difference was not significant with other groups except coneflower (p>0.05). Lowest and highest FCR was related to virginiamycin and coneflower (p<0.05) respectively. However there was non significant difference in feed conversion between virginiamycin group and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) (p>0.05). There was no difference in carcass characteristics and fat pad except small intestinal weight. Virginiamycin had the lowest small intestinal weight but the control had the highest (p<0.05).