Effect Of Acacia Nilotica On The Growth Performance Of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Acacia nilotica on the growth performance of broiler chickens. The experiment was conducted at the Poultry Husbandry Department, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam. Different treatment groups were established with varying levels of Acacia nilotica pod supplementation (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%) along with a fixed enzyme complex dosage (100 g/kg). A total of 300 broiler chickens were purchased and grouped accordingly. The housing and management practices followed standard protocols, including appropriate temperature maintenance, adequate lighting, and routine vaccinations. Various parameters, such as feed intake, water intake, live body weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass weight, dressing percentage, and relative organ weights, were recorded and analyzed statistically. The cumulative weight gain of broiler chickens was significantly affected by Acacia nilotica supplementation. The control group (T0) showed the highest cumulative weight gain (2058.33±20.85 g/b), while the group supplemented with 12% Acacia nilotica (T12) exhibited the lowest cumulative weight gain (1756.67±14.33 g/b). Feed intake was also significantly influenced by Acacia nilotica supplementation. The control group (T0) had the highest feed intake (4003.75±20.14 g/b), whereas the group supplemented with 12% Acacia nilotica (T12) had the lowest feed intake (3523.33±27.78 g/b). The feed conversion ratio (FCR), which reflects feed efficiency, was significantly affected by Acacia nilotica supplementation. The group supplemented with 6% Acacia nilotica (T6) showed the lowest FCR (1.90±0.02), indicating better conversion of feed into body weight. In contrast, the group supplemented with 12% Acacia nilotica (T12) had the highest FCR (2.00±0.03), suggesting a less efficient conversion of feed to body weight. Carcass weight, representing the weight of the birds after slaughter, was significantly influenced by Acacia nilotica supplementation. The control group (T0) had the highest carcass weight (1386.75±6.23 g/b), while the group supplemented with 12% Acacia nilotica (T12) had the lowest carcass weight (1136.61±16.49 g/b). The dressing percentage, which indicates the proportion of carcass weight to live weight, was significantly affected by Acacia nilotica supplementation. The group supplemented with 6% Acacia nilotica (T6) showed the highest dressing percentage (68.55±0.29%), while the group supplemented with 12% Acacia nilotica (T12) had the lowest dressing percentage (64.69±0.43%). The significantly (p<0.05) lower fat pad (34.96±1.95%) was noted in T12, where the birds were supplemented with 12% Acacia nilotica along with a 100 mg/kg enzyme complex, compared to T9 (37.36±2.01%), T6 (40.08±2.43%), and T3 (41.39±2.27%), respectively. These groups received supplementation with 9%, 6% and 3% Acacia nilotica, respectively, along with the same 100 mg/kg enzyme complex. While, the fat pad (44.11±1.91%) were recorded higher in T0 group (control). Acacia nilotica supplementation had varying effects on the growth performance of broiler chickens. While lower levels of supplementation (3% and 6%) resulted in improved weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio, higher levels (9% and 12%) showed negative effects on these parameters. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing the dosage of Acacia nilotica supplementation in broiler chicken diets to achieve optimal growth performance.