Abstract
Rhodiola has long been used as a traditional medicine to increase resistance to physical stress in humans in Tibet. The current study was designed to investigate whether Rhodiola crenulata (R. crenulata) could alleviate the negative effects of hypoxia on broiler chickens reared in Tibet Plateau. The effect of supplementing crushed roots of R. crenulata on production performance, health and intestinal morphology in commercial male broilers was investigated. Dietary treatments included CTL (basal diet), Low-R (basal diet + 0.5% R. crenulata) and High-R (basal diet + 1.5% R. crenulata). In comparison with broilers fed the control diet, Low-R had no effect on production performance while High-R significantly decreased average daily feed intake at d14, 28 and 42, body weight at d28 and 42 and gut development. Ascites induced mortality did not differ among treatments. Nevertheless Low-R significantly reduced non-ascites induced mortality and total mortality compared with broilers fed CTL and High-R diets. Broilers fed the High-R diet had significantly increased blood red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels at 28d compared with other treatments. Our results suggest that supplementation with Rhodiola might reduce the effects of hypoxia on broilers and consequently decrease mortality rate.
Highlights
Effects of Rhodiola on production, health and gut development of broilers reared at high altitude in Tibet
There were no significant differences in BW, ADFI and feed conversion ratio (FCR) between the CTL and the Low-R groups
There were no significant differences in FCR among all three groups throughout the study
Summary
Effects of Rhodiola on production, health and gut development of broilers reared at high altitude in Tibet. It is well known that indigenous Tibet chickens are well adapted to high altitude environments and they mainly inhabit the areas around the midstream of Brahmaputra and Sanjiang rivers (about 2200 to 4000 m above sea level)[1] It has been a common practice for most poultry farmers in Tibet to raise commercial broiler chickens taking advantage of their fast growth rates acquired following intensive selection for this trait. Feed restriction and changing lightering regimes have become the most common commercial conducts employed to reduce the incidence of ascites in broilers[4] Both treatments slow down early growth and, they may not produce the same effects in broilers at high altitude. Alternative measures need to be developed to deal with ascites in broilers at high altitude
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