Abstract
This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels (5g/kg ,10 g/kg or litter) of chamomile flower in feed and water on performance and gut health of broiler chickens under E. coli challenge. A total of 480-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 12 treatments each replicated 4 times with 10 birds. Oral inoculation with E. coli was on days 8 and 9 of birds age. At day 10 and 35, the interaction (p<0.05) between the experimental factors decreased the feed intake in the challenged birds supplemented with chamomile. At day 10, unchallenged birds were heavier (p<0.05) than the challenged groups. Up to 35 days, birds on antibiotics (zinc bacitracin 360g/kg) and chamomile containing diets were heavier than other groups. The FCR improved in chamomile supplemented birds in both challenge conditions. Challenged birds had poorer FCR than unchallenged birds. The FCR improved in antibiotics and chamomile supplemented birds than those on control diets. The intestinal pH, serum lipid content decreased and serum protein profile improved by chamomile supplementation. The interaction of the experimental factors increased (p<0.0001) protein digestibility in the unchallenged birds supplemented with chamomile in their diets. Protein digestibility improved (p<0.001) in chamomile supplemented birds. The interaction of the experimental factors increased fat digestibility (p<0.0001) in the challenged birds on the lower level of dietary chamomile. Fat digestibility was higher (p<0.0001) but protein digestibility and villi were lower in the challenged birds than unchallenged groups. Longer villi were observed in the unchallenged birds on the lower level of chamomile in their drinking water and those on the highest level of dietary chamomile
Highlights
The rearing environment has a strong impact on animal growth and feed efficiency
This study was aimed at assessing the efficacy of chamomile flower powder when in feed or the drinking water and its potential effect on the growth performance and underlying physiological, intestinal histology and immunological response of broiler chickens challenged with E. coli
There was no tendency of the additive level to significantly significant interaction between the improve the FCR of birds that were over the experimental factor on the body weight of chamomile in their drinking water compared to broiler chicks at 10 days
Summary
The rearing environment has a strong impact on animal growth and feed efficiency. Broilers are well-known of its sensitivity to infections in the early weeks of life because of delayed development of their intestinal microbial community. Subtherapeutic level of antibiotics was the most effective practice against pathogens which was widely used to promote the growth, control the enteric diseases and improve the health status of broilers (14). Animal nutrition strategies are being modified following the ban of the use of antibiotics in diets to control disease and promote growth performance of animals in some countries (8). This study was aimed at assessing the efficacy of chamomile flower powder when in feed or the drinking water and its potential effect on the growth performance and underlying physiological, intestinal histology and immunological response of broiler chickens challenged with E. coli. Treatments were control,(zinc Bacitracin 360g/ton) chamomile flower (0.5 g/kg, 1 g/kg or litter) in either feed or drinking water and reared in two different rooms in either normal (room1) or disease (E. coli) challenged conditions (room).
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