Effects of neem (<i>Azadirachta indica</i>) and bitter (<i>Vernonia amygdalina</i>) leaves infusion on intake, muscle chemical composition, sensory quality of meat and hematology of broilers

The effects of offering neem and bitter leaf extract orally to broiler chicks as a natural feed additive were investigated in terms of the hematological serum biochemical parameters, the percentage of chick mortality and chemical composition of the meat of the broiler chicks. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used to randomly assign 192-day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks to four treatments, each with three replications. Daily records of feed offered and refused were made, and the difference between the two on a dry matter (DM) basis was used to compute dry matter intake (DMI). The water used for the treatment contained a mixture of neem and bitter leaves at a rate of 0 ml, 2 ml, 4 ml, and 6 ml per liter of water for T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Commercial broilers diet that contained 22 and 18 % CP and 3050 and 3250 kcal/kg ME for starter and finisher phases. At the end of the trial, four broilers were chosen at random from each replication and slaughtered in order to assess the hematology and meat eating quality. The addition of extract to the broiler chicks’ drink water improved their blood parameters. The daily dry matter intake of broiler chicks in T4 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the other treatment groups, and T4’s total protein (TP) of blood was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of the other treatment groups. Additionally, there was a decrease in cholesterol (p < 0.0001) with an increased level of neem and bitter leaf extract mixture offered with drink water. It was concluded that 6 ml of a combination of neem and bitter leaf extract in a liter of drink water can be recommended as a good natural feed additive for commercial broiler production.