Effect of Mineral and Vitamin Supplementation on Performance and Haemotological Values in Broilers

A total of 120-day-old broilers were divided into four groups. In group-A, broilers were left without supplementation of minerals and vitamins(control), while the broilers in groups B, C and D were given mineral and vitamin supplementation 1-6, 1-4 and 5-6 weeks, respectively. The results showed that the feed consumption of broilers in groups A, B, C and D was 4 234.61, 4 028.38, 4 169.32 and 4 181.87 g · b-1; water intake was 9 668.88, 9 295.55, 9 882.11 and 9 402.86 L · b-1; live body weight was 2 068.90, 2 360.90, 2 255.30 and 2 157.40 g · b-1, respectively. The feed conversion ratio of broilers in groups A, B, C, D was 2.05, 1.71, 1.85 and 1.94 g · b-1, carcass weight(wt) was 1 550, 1 656, 1 552 and 1 528.8 g · b-1, and average dressing percentage was 61.24, 63.02, 62.60 and 60.51 respectively. Weight of heart in groups A, B, C and D was 15.13, 13.16, 11.72 and 11.50 g · b-1, weight of gizzard was 32.98, 37.48, 37.62 and 33.35 g · b-1, weight of liver was 51.94, 48.70, 51.94 and 48.70 g · b-1 and spleen weight was 3.48, 3.28, 3.06 and 2.82 g · b-1, respectively. Average mortality of broilers in groups A, B, C and D was 6, 2, 4 and 5 resulting 20.00%, 8.00%, 13.00% and 16.00% mortality rate, respectively. The haemoglobin level in blood of broilers in groups A, B, C and D was 9.20, 12.23, 10.87 and 7.60 g · dL-1,white blood cell level 77.47, 89.83, 81.63 and 78.13(×106 μL); red blood cell level 1.85, 2.58, 2.45 and 1.40(×106 μL), respectively. It was concluded that broilers given mineral and vitamin supplementation(Aquavit Electrolyte) for 6 weeks were proven to be most effective regime to result the lowest feed intake, the highest live body weight, better feed conversion ratio, higher carcass weight, better dressing percentage, higher net profit, relatively improved haemoglobin level in blood, increased counts of red blood cells and white blood cells. In all the above parameters, the broilers received mineral and vitamin supplementation for the first 4 weeks and the last 2 weeks showed relatively inferior performance, it is suggested that mineral and vitamin supplementation through water for partial period was not much effective in broiler productivity. Broilers may be supplemented with commercially available minerals and vitamins in drinking water over full rearing period, for achieving higher live body weight and efficient feed conversion ratio.

Medicinal plants as immunostimulants for health management in Indian cat fish

Objective:To study the effect of three medicinal plants on growth,survival and immunoprotection in Mystus montanus fingerlings.Methods:The three experimental groups of fish were fed with a diet supplemented of Ocimum tenuiflorum,Zingiber officinale and Allium cepa(0.5 g each),and control group was fed without supplementation of herbal diet.After 45 d of feeding the experimental group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of Aeromonas hydrophila and were supplemented with herbal diet.In the control group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of physiological saline solution alone.Results:The blood samples were collected for haemotological analysis after 7 d of post infection.The results showed that the haematological parameters of haemoglobin,serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase,serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase,serum glucose,red blood cell and white blood cell were found to be more in challenged fish.The survival rate of pathogen challenged fish maintained on the herbal diet is better than those in the control group which is supplemented with non-herbal diet.Conclusions:These results indicated that herbal diet is useful as a growth promoter and for disease resistance of Mystus montanus against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.