Abstract
The study was conducted to assess the effects of Effective Microorganisms (EM) as an additive to drinking water on growth performance of broiler chicken under local conditions. Hundred and ninety eight, day-old chicks were randomly allocated into two treatments, in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with three replicates of 33 birds per each. One group was fed with EM in 10 mL EM/L concentration level with drinking water and other group was considered as the control. Body weights of birds were measured at day 1, 10, 26 and 42 and feed intakes were measured weekly. Weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for the starter, finisher and total study period separately. At the age of 42 days, ten birds were randomly selected from each pen and scarified. Observed data were analyzed using the T-test procedure in ‘SAS’. Growth performance and FCR in starter period were significantly different (p 0.05). Total feed intake was significantly higher in EM treated birds than control group (p 0.05). In conclusion, EM positively affected the initial growth phase of broilers under local conditions though there is no significant influence on their latter part of growth.
Highlights
Chicken meat is relatively cheap compared to other animal products made it most consumed animal protein sources in the average Sri Lankan diets
Body weight gain was greater in birds treated with effective microorganisms (EM) than those consumed water free of EM at initial stage
Such increase may be attributed to enhancement of feed utilization efficiency as reflected by improved in feed conversion ratio observed in the study
Summary
Chicken meat is relatively cheap compared to other animal products made it most consumed animal protein sources in the average Sri Lankan diets. Effective microorganisms are widely used in the livestock sector to improve and promote the health condition and growth performance, control the disease and odor problems and as an agent of waste treatment in poultry production. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of EM incorporated drinking water on growth performances and dressing percentage of broilers under dry zone farm conditions in Sri Lanka.
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