Efficacy of Ziziphus mauritiana leaves extract as antibiotic alternatives in broiler chicken

Abstract

The current experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of oral administration of hydroalcholic Ziziphus mauritiana leaves extract (AZL) as antibiotic alternatives on growth performances, internal organs, lymphoid organs (spleen, Bursa) and blood biochemical characters of broiler during the period from 20 November to 26 December 2016 at the farm of Al Qasim Green University, Babylon, Iraq. A total of 160 one- day old male Ross broilers were divided randomly into 4 treatments with 4 replicate (10 birds per pen). The AZL was added at 0, 3, 7, and 10 ml / liter to water during starter (1-21 day) and grower (22-35) periods. The results showed that AZL increased the body weight and body weight gain at the all AZL groups but with no significant differences. During the grower period, the feed consumption was significantly higher (P