INFLUENCE OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF GINGER (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) POWDER ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS YIELD OF BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to assess the effect of dried ginger root powder (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) as a feed additive in broiler diets. Two hundred and forty unsexed day-old Zam strain broiler chicks were randomly allotted into 16 pens (four groups) of 15 chicks in a pen, using a completely randomized design. Each group was fed diets containing varying levels of ginger (250, 500, and 750 g per 100 kg), in addition to a control diet without ginger inclusion. The control and each level of supplementation were considered as T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. All diets were closely designed as iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric. The broilers were raised for eight weeks, including a one-week adjustment period. Feed consumption, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were recorded to evaluate the birds' growth performance.  At the end of the experimental period, the birds were weighed to obtain live body weight, then slaughtered and weighed to get data for carcass quality (abdominal fat content, gut and liver weight, carcass yield). The data collected were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) was used to separate the means. The results demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) variation in the mean body weight gain (2617.97 - 2696.45 g) and final body weight (2658.67 - 2736.33 g) with T4 recording the highest values among the treatment groups. However, feed consumption (5621.39-5698.54 g) and feed conversion ratios (2.1–2.2) did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) across treatments. Similarly, the carcass yield (70.92-79.66as % of live weight) varied significantly (p<0.05), with T3 recording the highest value (79.66% of live weight). The study concludes that ginger powder supplementation in the broiler diet increased body weight gain and carcass yield.