Effect of Feeding Diets Containing Ginger Oil on Growth Performance, Nutrient Utilization and Carcass Characteristics in Broiler Chicken under the Agro-climatic Conditions of Assam, India

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of dietary ginger oil supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilisation and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens under the agro-climatic conditions of Assam. A total of 180 one-day-old Cobb 400Y broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four dietary treatment groups, with 45 chicks per group and three replicates of 15 chicks each. The control group (T0) received standard pre-starter, starter and finisher diets without ginger oil, whereas the treatment groups received the same basal diets supplemented with ginger essential oil at 100 mg/kg (T1), 150 mg/kg (T2) and 200 mg/kg (T3) feed. The feeding trial was conducted for 42 days, followed by a six-day metabolism trial. Growth performance, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus retention, and carcass characteristics were recorded and statistically analysed. Final body weight and total body weight gain were highest in T2 and lowest in the control group, with significant (P<0.05) differences between T2 and T0 and T3. The overall feed conversion ratio was numerically improved in the ginger oil-supplemented groups, with the lowest value observed in T2. Dry matter digestibility was significantly (P<0.05) higher in T2 than in the control group. Crude protein metabolisability was highest in T3, while nitrogen retention improved in the ginger oil-supplemented groups compared with the control. Dressing percentage, breast muscle weight and thigh muscle weight were also higher in the supplemented groups, with the most favourable overall carcass response observed in T2. Abdominal fat, giblet weight and lymphoid organ weight did not differ significantly among groups. It is concluded that ginger oil supplementation at 150 mg/kg feed may improve growth performance, dry matter utilisation and selected carcass traits in broiler chickens under the conditions of this experiment.