Effect of Herb Urtica dioica as Feed Additive on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical, Immune Response and Oxidative Parameters of Broilers

Background: Considering the increasingly high cost of poultry feed and the economic aspects of poultry rearing, search for organic feed supplements for optimal growth performance along with maintaining the health status of poultry has emerged as a challenge for animal nutritionists all over the world. Over the years, medicinal herbs have fascinated a lot of consideration for their important role as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in animals. These compounds display some important pharmacological and growth promoting effects in animals. With this background, exploratory research was designed to study the effects of a locally available medicinal herb, Urtica dioica at different levels on the performance, serum biochemical, immune response and oxidative parameters of broilers. Methods: A total of 120-day old commercial broiler chicks were purchased; randomly distributed into four treatment groups. The groups were distributed as; group T1-control offered basal diet, groups T2, T3, T4 offered basal diet supplemented with Urtica dioica leaf powder @ 1, 1.5 and 2% respectively on dry matter basis. A growth trial of five weeks followed by a metabolic trial of seven days was conducted at the end of the experiment. The economics for broiler production was also calculated. In addition to this different biochemical, immune and oxidative parameter were also analyzed at the end of the experiment following standard procedures. Result: Significant improvements in various production parameters viz. body weight, FCR, digestibility of DM, CP were observed in birds fed nettle as feed additive in comparison to control, however non-significant changes in the values of feed intake, digestibility of CF, EE and NFE among treatment groups was also recorded. On calculating the economics, a lower production cost per kg live weight gain and a higher profit/bird was calculated for treatment groups fed nettle as feed additive. Significant improvements in various biochemical, immune and oxidative parameters were also observed in birds of phytogenic supplemented groups in comparison to control.