Effect of feeding Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle/Bichu Buti) on performance of broiler chickens

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle/Bichhu buti) in commercial broiler birds under complete randomized block design. Day-old broiler chicks (n = 180) of Vencobb strain were divided into six treatment groups NC, PC, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ with three replicates of ten chicks per replicate. All the birds were fed isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets during pre-starter, starter and finisher phases. The chicks were reared in battary brooders upto 15 days and then shifted to deep littre system. Standard managemental practices were followed throughout the experiment. The chicks in treatment NC (negative control) were fed basal diet while that of the treatments PC, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅, received 0.1% Zinc bacitracin, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% nettle leaves powder, respectively, along with basal diet. The chicks fed with 1.5% nettle leaves showed significantly (P<0.05) enhanced growth performance in terms of gain in body weight and feed conversion ratio. The chicks reveiving nettle leaves more than 1.5% in feed, showed signficantly poor feed convestion ratio. The treatment NC and T₂ showed 23.34 and 3.33% mortalty, resepctively. The cost incurred for getting one kg live weight was lower in all the nettle fed and zinc bacitracin fed chicks. The highest saving on feeding cost to get 1 kg gain in weihgt was observed in T4 treatment. It was conculded that nettle leaves could be added @ 1.5% in feeds of commercial chicks to replace the antibiotic growth promotor and it increased the profits without any effect on acceptability of meat.