The Effects of Propolis on Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens
Abstract
Propolis is a resinous and
balsamic substance that is collected from buds, leaves and similar parts of
trees and plants by honeybees (Apis mellifera) and mixed with wax1.
The two main targets in modern poultry production are
high growth rate and feed efficiency2. The aim of this study was to determine
the effect of diet supplementation with propolis on the growth performance of
broiler chickens. This experimental study was conducted on 120 Ross 308 broiler
chickens of equally distributed sex, which were randomly divided into three
groups: control group (C) and two experimental groups of chickens (P1 and P2).
Throughout the whole study (for 42 days) the control group of chickens was fed
feed mixture while feed mixture that was fed to the experimental groups of
chickens contained propolis in amount of 0,5 g/kg (P1 group) and 1,0 g/kg of
feed mixture (P2 group). The average values of body weight of chickens were
significantly higher on 14th (p=0.008), 21st (p<0.001),
28th (p=0.001) and 35th (p=0.019) day of fattening in the
experimental groups of chickens compared to the control group. The average
values of weight gain of chickens were significantly higher on 1st (p=0.017),
3rd (p=0.003) and 4th (p=0.044) week of fattening in the
experimental groups of chickens compared to the control group. This study has
shown that propolis has significant positive effect on performance parameters
in broiler chickens. The administration level of investigated supplement should
be further evaluated in order to maximize its efficacy in commercial chicken
production.
Keywords
References
- 1. Chegini S, Kiani A, Rokni H (2018) Alleviation of thermal and overcrowding stress in finishing broilers by dietary propolis supplementation. Italian Journal of Animal Science 17: 377-385.2 Sugiharto S (2016) Role of nutraceuticals in gut health and growth performance of poultry. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences 15: 99-111.