Growth Performance, Caeca Microbial Population and Immune Response of Starter Broiler Chicks Fed Aqueous Extract of Balanites Aegyptiaca and Alchornea Cordifolia Stem Bark Mixture

A total of Two hundred and fifty (250), 1-day old (Cobb) broiler chicks with mixed sex were used to evaluate the the growth performance, caeca microbial population and immune response of starter broiler chicks fed aqueous extract of Balanites aegyptiaca and Alchornea cordifolia stem bark mixture (BACM). Birds were reared on a deep litter system and randomly divided into five treatment with five replicates consisting of 10 birds each in a completely randomized design. Treatment 1 (T1) were given basal diet + 0 % BACM, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were fed 20, 40, 60 and 80 ml/liter BACM respectively. The experiment lasted for 28 during which clean feed and water were offered ad libitum. The results obtained revealed that the average weight gain (AWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were influenced by the dietary treatments (P<0.05). Birds in T5 had the highest AWG and FCR (1159.3 g, 1.57) followed by T4 (1070.2 g, 1.70), T3 (1047.4 g, 1.74), T2 (981.1 g, 1.86) and T1 (850.7 g, 2.14) respectively. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), malonyldialdehyde (MLA) and antibody titres against Newcastle and gumboro disease were significantly affected by BACM (P<0.05). Caeca microbial population of Escherichia coli and Lactobacilli were significantly different among the treatments (P<0.05). E. coli count in T1 were higher compared to other treatments (P<0.05), Lactobacilli population increased in T2, T3, T4 and T5 compared to T1. It was concluded that BACM can be fed to broiler chicks at 80 ml/litre without any negetive effect on the performance and immune response of birds.