Effects of Garlic (Allium sativum) Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Economics of Broilers

One hundred and eighty (n=180) day old white commercial broiler chicks (Cobb 400) were randomly divided into three groups to study the effects of garlic supplementation on growth performance. Dietary treatments were control (T₁-basal diet only), garlic powder supplemented at 0.1% (T₂) and 0.5% (T₃). Daily feed intake, weekly body weight and residue left any were recorded to calculate the feed conversion ratio. At the end of experiment six birds from each group were sacrificed to determine the carcass characteristics. Results revealed that dietary supplementation of 0.1% garlic powder (T₂) significantly (P<0.01) improved body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and FCR as compared to birds supplemented with 0.5% garlic powder (T₃) and control (T₁). Dietary supplementation of 0.1% garlic (T₂) resulted in significant (P<0.05) improvement in dressed yield as compared to T₃ and T₁. On the other hand, comparable (P>0.05) effect was observed on shrinkage loss, blood loss, feather loss, eviscerated yield and relative weight of giblet. Mortality (%) in T₁, T₂ and T₃ was 3.33, 0.00 and 1.67, respectively. Total feed cost, total cost/kg live weight and total cost/kg meat was reduced (P<0.05) in 0.1% garlic (T₂) as compared to 0.5% garlic (T₃) supplemented birds or control (T₁). Thus, dietary supplementation of 0.1% garlic had beneficial effect on growth performance, dressed yield and cost of production.