Effect of dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf powder on cecal microbial load and livability of commercial broiler chickens

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) on cecal microbial load and livability of commercial broiler chickens. A total of 160 day-old broiler chicks were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments, each consisting of four replicates of eight birds (32 birds per treatment). The treatments included a control diet (T₁) and four diets with 0.5% (T₂), 1.0% (T₃), 1.5% (T₄) and 2.0% (T₅) MOLP inclusion, fed for six weeks. MOLP inclusion significantly reduced (p0.05). The results indicated that dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf powder, particularly at 1.5%, effectively suppresses harmful cecal bacteria and supports improved survivability in broiler chickens.