One-day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were fed basal diet supplemented with bee-pollen at the rate of 0% (control), 0.2, 0.4 or 0.6% for a period of 6 weeks with an aim to use them in broiler nutrition as a natural growth promoting substance. Significant (p<0.01) differences in live body weight and body weight gain were found between broiler chicks fed the basal diet and those having bee-pollen in their diets during the experiment period. Broiler receiving 0.6% bee-pollen had the highest significant (p<0.01) body weight and body weight gains. Bee-pollen supplementation resulted in less feed intake and improved feed conversion ratio compared to the control group. The relative weight of carcass were significantly (p<0.01) higher in chicks fed bee-pollen diets. Chicks fed 0.6% bee-pollen diet were found to have highest relative weights of thymus, bursa and spleen and the highest values of the packed cells volume, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cells, white blood cells, hetrophils and lymphocytes. Serum total protein, albumen and globulin were significantly higher in birds fed on bee-pollen compared with the control group. The concentrations of serum uric acid, creatinine, triglycerides, cholesterol, GOT and GPT in chicks fed 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% of bee-pollen were found to be lower than the control group. It was concluded that supplementation of bee-pollen to the diets of broiler chicks improved the performance, carcass traits and blood parameters.
CITATION STYLE
Farag, S. A., & El-Rayes, T. K. (2016). Effect of bee-pollen supplementation on performance, carcass traits and blood parameters of broiler chickens. Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11(3), 168–177. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajava.2016.168.177
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