The effect of Adding Thyme Powder to Hybrid Broiler Chicken Diets on the Performance Rate and Carcass Characteristics

Abstract

The study was conducted in the poultry barn of the Department of Animal Production - College of Agriculture - Omar Al-Mukhtar University in the period from September to October (For 35 days) study the effect of adding thyme plant powder to the diet of hybrid broiler chickens (Ross) breed (45 birds were used in the study). The birds were randomly distributed into three treatments. The first treatment (control 0 g) birds were fed a standard diet according to the American Research Council guidelines (NRC1994) without any additives. The second treatment (1.5g) the standard diet, added 1.5 g of thyme powder/kg of diet. The third treatment (2.5g) was a standard diet, to which 2.5 g of thyme powder/kg of diet was added. The results showed that the total weight gain was high in the third treatment without significance, and the feed consumed was high in the third treatment at P < 0.05. The weight after slaughter, the weight after feathering, the weight without entrails and the dressing percentage were high in the second treatment without significance. The weight of the front quarters and the weight of the hind quarters increased without significance in the first treatment. Heart weight, liver weight, stomach gland weight and intestine length were non-significantly increased in the second treatment. Spleen weight increased in the third treatment without significance. The weight of the gizzard was high in the first treatment without significant. High-density lipoprotein was high in the second treatment at P < 0.05. Cholesterol was non-significantly high in the second treatment. Low density lipoprotein and GOT were non-significantly high in the first treatment.