ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND HEALTH STATUS OF BROILERS SUPPLEMENTED WITH GINKGO BILOBA LEAF POWDER AND GINSENG ROOT POWDER

The global ban on antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in broiler production has prompted researchers to look for natural substitutes such as herbal additives. The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of incorporating Ginkgo biloba leaf powder and/or ginseng root powder into broiler diets. Three hundred one-day-old (Ross-308) broiler chickens were randomly divided into four groups, with each group containing 5 replicates / 15 chicks per replicate. The experimental treatments were T1: Control group (CON: without any additives), T2: Ginkgo biloba leaf powder (GbP), T3: Ginseng root powder (GP) and T4: Ginkgo biloba leaf powder + Ginseng root powder (GbP + GP). The dietary supplementation dosage of the investigated materials was 5 g/kg of diet. During the 35-day study, growth performance was assessed. Results revealed that the dietary inclusion of GbP and its combination with GP improved final live body weight and average weight gain compared to those supplemented with GP alone or the control group. Additionally, there was a decrease in feed intake and feed conversion ratio in all additive treatments. Moreover, the additives enhanced carcass cut percentages (breast and thigh), improved blood constituents, and increased beneficial bacteria counts in the small intestine of broilers provided by additives suggested. Based on the findings, it can be inferred that adding 5 g/kg of the proposed herbal additives to broiler diets could be utilized as an alternative to AGP due to improved productive and physiological performance.