Effect of Adding Milk Thistle Silybium Marianum Cereal to Ration on Performance of Productive and Physiological of Laying Hens

Abstract

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding different levels of milk thistle Silybum marianum cereal powder to the ration on productive and physiological performance of laying hens. The experiment was performed from the age of 49 weeks to 64 weeks of hens age. A total of 81 laying hens were randomly distributed to three treatments each treatment with three replicates and nine birds in each replicate. The experimental treatments were as the following : Treatment 1 (control) fed standard ration (free milk thistle cereal powder), treatment 2 fed standard ration + Milk thistle 7.5 gm/kg feed and treatment 3 fed standard ration + Milk thistle 15 gm/kg feed. The results obtained showed that the adding milk thistle cereal powder on diet of layer had a positive effect on egg production(HD%), egg weight, egg mass and feed convertion ratio, as well on blood biochemical (Immunity, T. Protein, ALT, AST) and histological indices of intestinal (Villi high, Crypts depth), while the experimental treatments had no significant effect on the concentration of uric acid and cholesterol. It can be concluded from the results of this study, that the adding milk thistle to diet have important role in improvement of productive performance and health statues of laying hen,.