Effect of dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf powder on feed intake and growth performance of commercial broiler chicken

Abstract

Poultry production plays a crucial role in meeting the growing global demand for animal protein due to its efficient feed conversion and short production cycle. Rising feed costs and restrictions on antibiotic growth promoters have prompted the search for safe and natural feed additives to enhance growth and profitability. Among such additives, Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) is gaining importance because of its rich nutrient composition and bioactive properties. A total of 160 day-old commercial broiler chicks were randomly divided into five treatment groups T₁ (control, 0% MOLP), T₂ (0.5% MOLP), T₃ (1% MOLP), T₄ (1.5% MOLP) and T₅ (2% MOLP), each consisting of four replicates of eight chicks. The overall feed consumption (g/bird) was recorded as 3641.78±104.12, 3717.16±119.16, 3808.09±46.70, 3754.31±49.27 and 3631.68±109.66 for birds fed 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% MOLP diets, respectively. The statistical analysis revealed non-significant (p>0.05) differences among treatments. The dry matter intake showed a similar non-significant trend (p>0.05) across the treatments, with total DMI (g/bird) values of 3263.49±93.27, 3331.03±106.80, 3412.50±41.83, 3364.34±44.15 and 3254.67±98.20 g for T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄, and T₅, respectively. The cumulative body weight (g/bird) at the end of six weeks was 2011.74±58.11, 2115.92±60.27, 2221.82±57.75, 2274.66±56.54 and 2104.57±55.51 in T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that birds in T₃ (1%) and T₄ (1.5%) had significantly (p