Utilization of Processed Pine Needle Powder in Broiler Chicken Diets

Abstract

This study examined the effects of dietary processed pine needle tree powder (PPNP) on growth performance, visceral organ parameters, ileal digestibility, blood metabolites and ileal morphology of broiler chickens for 5-week after hatch. In total, 220 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 30 pens (seven birds per pen), and each pen was assigned to one of five dietary treatments, a diet without PPNP (control) and diets with 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% PPNP. The body weight and feed intake were measured weekly. One bird from each pen was selected randomly and gently euthanized to collect the blood, visceral organs and digesta samples on 2, 3 and 5 week of age. Birds fed 2.0% PPNP showed decreased (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) overall body weight, average daily gain and average daily feed intake compared to those fed control, 0.5 and 1.0% PPNP. The small intestine length increased (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) as the level of PPNP in the diet increased. A deeper crypt depth was observed (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) when birds fed 2.0% PPNP compared to those fed the control diet at week 2. A higher V:C ratio was observed (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) in birds fed 1.0% PPNP than in those fed other treatments at week 3. Ileal protein digestibility improved (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) when birds fed 0.5% and 1.0% PPNP compared to that in those fed the control diet at week 3. The feed conversion ratio, ileal dry matter digestibility and blood urea nitrogen and cholesterol, and gizzard and ceca weights were not affected (<italic>P</italic>&gt;0.05) by supplementation of any levels of PPNP. These results demonstrated that inclusion of PPNP in broiler diets could be a possible factor in improving overall growth performance suggesting early gut development when 1% PPNP is supplemented.