Wild sunflower and goat weed leaf meals composite-mix supplementation in broiler chickens: effects on performance, health status and meat

Three hundred 1-day old Cobb 500 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to five experimental diets (60 birds/diet; 10 birds/ replicate) using a completely randomized design to assess the effects of wild sunflower and goat weed leaf meals composite mix (CLM) in broiler chickens. At the starter and finisher phases, a basic diet was formulated, divided into five equal parts and tagged diets 1 to 5. Diets 1 and 2 had 0% and 1.1% Oxytetracycline (Oxyt) supplementation; while the diets 3, 4 and 5 were supplemented with 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.2% CLM, respectively. In starter and finisher phases, the highest (P <0.05) body weight gain (BWG) was recorded in the birds fed diet 5 and 4, respectively compared to other diets. During the overall phase, birds fed diet 5 had the highest BWG, which was similar to those fed diet 4 but higher (P <0.05) than the birds fed the rest diets. The feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were influenced (P <0.05) by the CLM supplementation at the starter phase. The FCR recorded in birds fed the 1.1% Oxyt, 0.8% and 1.2% composite leaf mix supplemented diets (diets 2, 4, and 5) were similar (P >0.05) to those fed 0.4% CLM, but significantly better (P <0.05) the birds fed the control diet. The dietary CLM supplementation caused increased (P <0.05) serum catalase and glutathione peroxidase concentration. The meat cholesterol levels of the birds were significantly (P <0.05) reduced by dietary CLM supplementation. Conclusively, the CLM supplementation at 0.8% and 1.2% enhanced the BWG. CLM supplementation at 0.4%, 0.8 and 1.2% increased the serum glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity and reduced the broiler’s meat cholesterol.