Growth and Body Morphometric Parameters of Broiler Chickens Orally Administered Varying levels of Lemon Grass Extract at Finisher Phase

Abstract

The growth and body morphometric parameters of broiler chickens orally administered varying levels of lemongrass extract at finisher phase was evaluated. A total of 150-day old broiler chicks were used for this study in a CRD design. The birds were allotted into five treatments of 30 chicks in each treatment with three replications of 10 chicks per replicate. The control (T1) group was not administered antibiotic nor lemongrass extract and treatment group T2 was administered 0.2mls of antibiotic while T3, T4 and T5 treatment groups were administered 0.2mls, 0.4mls and 0.6mls of lemongrass extract respectively. Data on the growth and morphometric parameters were collected. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the growth parameters with an exception of the average initial body weight. The average final body weight (g) in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 1781.48, 1767.59, 2061.90, 1897.62 and 1898.31 respectively. The average body weight of broiler birds in T3 was higher as compared to those in T1, T2, T4 and T5. The body weight gain in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 1249.78, 1266.22, 1458.24, 1386.54, and 1420.91 respectively. The birds in treatment groups T3, T4 and T5 recorded higher weight gain than T1 (control group) and T2 (0.2mls antibiotic). The feed intake (g) were 359.87, 3152.33, 4039.16, 3777.33, 4063.40 in treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. The treatment group T5 consumed more feed (4063.40g) compared to the other treatments. Feed conversion ratio was higher in T5 (2.82) as compared to T1 (2.81), T2 (2.49), T3 (2.77) and T4 (2.73). However, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in average initial body width, final body girth, final shank length and shank length gain compare to other parameters such as initial body length, final body length, body length gain, body width gain, final body width, initial shank length, initial neck length, final neck length, which were not significantly affected. It can be concluded that the use of lemongrass extract at the levels 0.6mls and 0.2mls proved to have improved the growth performance as well as better performance of the morphometric parameters.