Dried Date (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> L.) Meal Inclusion in the Diets of Broilers Affects Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Nutrients Digestibility, Fecal Microbiota and Economics
Muhammad Haseeb Raza,
Muhammad Tahir,
Shabana Naz,
Ibrahim A. Alhidary,
Rifat Ullah Khan,
Caterina Losacco,
Vincenzo Tufarelli
Affiliations
Muhammad Haseeb Raza
Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan
Muhammad Tahir
Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan
Shabana Naz
Department of Zoology, Government College University, Faisalabad 54000, Pakistan
Ibrahim A. Alhidary
Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture and Food Science, King Saud University, Riadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Rifat Ullah Khan
College of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan
Caterina Losacco
Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Jonian Area, Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano, 70010 Bari, Italy
Vincenzo Tufarelli
Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Jonian Area, Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano, 70010 Bari, Italy
The availability of suitable feedstuffs for poultry nutrition is a significant challenge faced by the global poultry production industry. This issue has been exacerbated by the shift towards using grains for biofuel production, leading to a subsequent rise in feedstuff prices. The study aimed to assess the impact of different levels of dried date wastes in the diet of broiler chicks on their growth, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota and economics. A total of 240 day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308/Ross 308 FF) were divided into five experimental groups and fed 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12% of dietary date meal (DDM). The formulated diets were provided to chicks for a duration of 35 days. The findings of the study indicated that chicks fed with a diet containing 9% dried dates exhibited a significantly (p p p p Lactobacillus and decreased (p E. coli count. Similarly, economically, birds supplemented with 9% DDM exhibited significantly (p Lactobacillus, reduced E. coli count and economics.
