Year: 2018 | Month: February | Volume 8 | Issue 1
Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Azolla (Azolla pinnata) in Raw and Meal Forms on the Production Performance, Immunocompetence, Development of Digestive Organs and Carcass Quality Traits of Coloured Chicken
Abstract:
One hundred and twenty day old straight run coloured chicken (Chabro) were distributed into four treatments: T1-basal diet, T2-5% of basal diet replaced with Azolla meal on dry matter basis, T3- Basal diet+Raw azolla after 4 weeks, T4- T2+Raw azolla after 4 weeks. Average weekly weight gain of T1, T2 and T3 were significantly higher (P<0.01) than T4 birds at 2nd week. There was no significant difference in the weekly FCR among the treatment groups during the experiment. Humoral immune response to 1% SRBC (log2 titre) and cell mediated immune response to PHA-P was comparatively better in T2 group. Per cent gizzard weight was significantly higher (P<0.05) in T2 than other groups. There was no significant difference among the treatment groups in the carcass quality traits. It may be concluded that azolla meal can replace poultry feed up to 5% level with higher humoral and cell mediated immune responses.
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