Evaluating the role of herbal additives in sustainable broiler farming: The case of turmeric and ginger at 0.25% inclusion levels

This study evaluates the role of herbal additives, specifically turmeric and ginger, in enhancing the sustainability of poultry farming by assessing their effects on broiler chickens' growth performance, economic parameters, nutrient digestibility, and blood profiles. A total of 120-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four treatment groups: control (no herb), turmeric at 0.25%, ginger at 0.25%, and an equal combination of both herbs at 0.25%. Results showed no significant differences in growth performance across the treatments, as all groups exhibited comparable body weight, feed intake, and weight gain. However, the economic analysis revealed that the inclusion of turmeric, ginger, or their combination increased feed costs and total production costs, with the combined treatment resulting in the highest production cost. Despite this, all supplemented diets resulted in negative cost savings, indicating limited financial benefits. Haematological analyses indicated no major changes in red and white blood cell counts, packed cell volume, or haemoglobin levels. However, significant variations were observed in eosinophil and monocyte percentages. Biochemical analyses showed reductions in total protein and albumin levels in the turmeric group, while serum glucose and cholesterol levels increased significantly. Nutrient digestibility was also influenced by the additives, with significant differences observed in dry matter and nitrogen-free extract digestibility, though other parameters like crude protein and crude fibre remained unaffected. Overall, while the herbal additives had minimal effects on growth performance at 0.25% inclusion level, they influenced production costs and certain biochemical markers, suggesting a potential but modest role in sustainable poultry farming.