EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF ALOE VERA (Aloe barbadensis) AND TULSI (Ocimum sanctum) POWDER ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS

kaushalendra Kumar; Govinda  Kumar; Sanjay  Kumar; Pankaj Kumar  Singh; Rajni Kumari; Savita Kumari; Rohit Kumar Jaiswal; Ravi Ranjan Kumar  Sinha; Jai Prakash Gupta

doi:10.56093/ijans.v96i3.172255

Authors

kaushalendra Kumar Associate Professor, Department of Animal Nutrition, Bihar Veterinary College, BASU, Patna
Govinda Kumar
Sanjay Kumar
Pankaj Kumar Singh
Rajni Kumari
Savita Kumari
Rohit Kumar Jaiswal
Ravi Ranjan Kumar Sinha
Jai Prakash Gupta

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v96i3.172255

Keywords:

Aloe barbadensis , Broiler chicken, Growth performance, Ocimum sanctum

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted to assess the impact of dietary supplementation with Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera), Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) powder, and their combination on broiler performance over 35 days. A total of 200-day-old Cobb 400Y broiler chicks were procured, individually weighed, and randomly distributed into four treatment groups (T0–T3) of 50 birds each, with five replicates of 10 birds per group. The diets were iso-nutritive and included: T0 (basal diet, control), T1 (basal diet + 1.5% Aloe vera), T2 (basal diet + 1% Tulsi), and T3 (basal diet + 1.5% Aloe vera + 1% Tulsi). Results demonstrated that broilers in the T3 group (Aloe vera + Tulsi) showed significant (P<0.05) improvements in feed intake, weekly weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and performance index compared to the control. Performance ranking was T3 > T2 > T1 > T0. Additionally, retention of dry matter, crude protein, and ether extract was significantly enhanced in supplemented groups, with the highest values in T3. However, calcium and phosphorus retention remained statistically similar across treatments. In summary, combined supplementation of Aloe vera and Tulsi powder effectively improved growth performance, nutrient utilization, and feed efficiency, highlighting its potential as a natural growth promoter in broiler production.

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