Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root powder supplementation on growth of kuroiler chicks

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to find the effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root powder on growth performance in Kuroiler chicks. One hundred and twenty, day-old Kuroiler chicks were divided into four treatment groups used on a completely randomized design (group T1, T2, T3 and T4) with 30 chicks in each group with three replicates consisting10 chicks in each. The dietary treatments consisted of one basal control (T1) had standard ration as per BIS 2007 and others T2, T3 and T4 supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% Ashwagandha root powder. The chicks were reared in brooder house under standard management practices throughout the investigation period of 8 weeks. Weekly recorded of feed intake and body weight of chicks for further analysis. Statistically analyzed data shown that the average body weight, body weight gain were significantly higher and feed conversion ratio was significantly lower in T3 group than all other treatment groups. It can be concluded that Kuroiler chicks treated with 1.0% Ashwagandha root powder may exhibit improved body weight and a lower feed conversion ratio.