Onionskin waste versus synthetic additives in broiler diet: influence on production indices, oxidative status, caecal bacteria, immune indices, blood chemistry and meat quality

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of dietary supplementation of onionskin waste (OW) and synthetic additives on growth, oxidative status, blood chemistry, caecal bacteria, carcase, immune indices and meat quality in broilers. One day old Ross 308 chicks (n = 280) were randomly allotted to basal diets containing either no additive, B-1; 0.5 g/kg oxytetracyline + 0.13 g/kg tert-butylhydroxyanisole, B-2; 10 g/kg OW, B-3; or 20 g/kg OW, B-4 for 42 days. Supplemented birds had higher (p.05) on feed intake and feed efficiency, hematological indices, organ weight and serum immunoglobulin M. Onionskin supplementation repressed (p