Effect of Graded Levels of Dietary Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Powder on Performance of Broiler Chicken

Day old commercial broiler chicks (No.=150) were distributed equally into five groups of 30 chicks each which were further replicated to three groups of ten each. The chicks were placed on one of the dietary treatments i.e. basal diet without any supplement (CON) or 0.125% antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) or 3 levels of turmeric powder i.e 0.5% (TP5), 1.0% TP (TP10) and 1.5% TP (TP15). At the end of of the experiment, the birds of antibiotic growth promoter group had highest (P<0.05) body weight gain as compared to the 0.5 and 1.5% turmeric powder and control group whereas chicks of 1.0% turmeric powder group had comparable body weight gain. There was no significant change in feed intake among birds of different groups. Birds of antibiotic growth promoter group had better (P<0.05) FCR as compared to the 0.5 and 1.5% turmeric powder and control group whereas chicks of 1.0% turmeric powder and antibiotic group had comparable FCR. Dry matter and crude protein retention improved (P<0.05) due to supplementation. Supplementation of 1.0 and 1.5% turmeric powder resulted in an increase (P<0.05) in total protein and lower (P<0.05) serum cholesterol values than the 0.5%TP, antibiotic or control group. The values of serum glucose, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, creatinine and enzymes (ALT, AST and ALP) were unaffected (P>0.05) by treatments. Carcass traits like dressing yield, giblet weight, cooking loss, pH, shear force and proximate composition was not affected by treatments whereas separable fat and meat cholesterol level reduced (P<0.05) in broiler chickens fed diet supplemented with 1.0 or 1.5% turmeric powder. Dietary treatments did not affect sensory characteristics of carcass. Hence, dietary turmeric powder @ 1.0% could be used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoter in broiler chicken.