Effects of bee pollen and propolis on performance, mortality, and some haematological blood parameters in broiler chickens

Abstract

This experimental study aimed to determine how propolis and bee pollen (each supplement separately or in combination in a certain proportion), as additives to broiler feed, affect performance, mortality and the values of the selected haematological blood parameters in chickens. This experimental study was conducted on 200 Ross 308 chickens of equally distributed sex, which were randomly divided into five groups. Throughout the whole study, the control group of chickens was fed ordinary feed mixture, while the feed mixture that was fed to the experimental groups of chickens contained propolis and/or bee pollen. The average values of body weight of chickens were significantly higher on the 1st (P=0.001), 2nd-5th (P < 0.001) and 6th (P=0.002) weeks of fattening in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group; the average values of weight gain of chickens were significantly higher on the 1st (P < 0.001), 2nd (P=0.002), 3rd (P < 0.001), 4th (P=0.029) and 5th (P=0.009) weeks. Lower mortality was recorded in all the experimental groups in comparison to the control group of chickens (P=0.031). Higher values of MCV (P=0.009) and haematocrit (P=0.015) and lower values of the leukocyte count (P=0.029) and of the relative ratio of Mo (P < 0.001) were recorded in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group on the 21st day of fattening. Higher values of the relative ratio of heterophils (P < 0.001) and lower values of the relative ratios of lymphocytes (P < 0.001) and monocytes (P=0.027) were recorded in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group on the 42nd day of fattening. The results of this study showed that supplementation with propolis and/or bee pollen improved the general health condition of the chickens and positively affected the performance and the values of the selected haematological blood parameters in the chickens.