Herbal-pro supplementation in drinking water to promote the growth and suppress Coliform and Escherichia coli in the Intestines of ducklings

Abstract

Herbal-Pro is a combination of herbal extracts (Carrot leaves) and probiotics (Effective Microorganism-4). Probiotic microbes have been shown to improve performance and nutrient absorption. Meanwhile, savonins in herbal leaves can suppress pathogenic bacteria. It is interesting to study the effect of Herbal-Pro supplementation in drinking water to improve performance and suppress pathogenic bacteria in the intestines of duckling. A total of 216 male Bali duckling aged 2 weeks with an average homogeneous body weight were randomly divided into 4 treatments and 6 replications in a completely randomized design. The "Herbal-Pro" treatment was administered via drinking water, each at the level of: 0% as a control (A); 2% (B), 4% (C), and 6% (D), respectively. The results showed that the inclusion of Herbal-pro in drinking water were increased significantly (P<0.05) body weight gain, feed consumption, and feed efficiency. Herbal-Pro administration at a level of 4-6% via drinking water was significantly different (P<0.05) in reducing the number of Coliform and E. coli bacteria in the duckling intestine. It can be concluded that addition of 2-6% Herbal-Pro on drinking water of duckling from 2-10 weeks of age significantly improves growth and feed efficiency, and vice versa is able to suppress pathogenic bacteria in the intestines of ducklings.