Effect of Oregano and Tea Tree Essential Oils on Bioproductive Indices of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of oregano and melaleuca essential oils administered in a dose of 250 mg/kg CF in the feeding of broiler chickens on the bioproductive indices. The biological material was represented by sexed (male) broiler chickens belonging to the ROSS 308 hybrid on which the phasial breeding (1- 10d, 11-24d, 25-35d) was practiced, while observing the recommendations from the ROSS 308 Broiler Management Guide, 2014. The chickens were divided into 3 experimental variants (T0, T1, T2), with 3 replications and 10 chickens/replication. The chickens from T0 (control) have received only the basic diet, for T1 the basic diet+oregano essential oil (250 mg/kg CF) were administered, and for T2, the basic diet+melaleuca essential oil (250 mg/kg CF). During the first breeding period (0-10d), the highest value for the body weight was recorded at T1 (267.66 g), which also had the lowest feed conversion ratio (1.20 kg CF/kg WG). In the period 11-24d, in T2, the highest body weight (1034.41 g) with the feed conversion ratio 1.52 kg CF/kg WG were recorded. In the finisher phase (25-35d), T1 maintained differences compared to T0, for body weight higher 2.91% and lower 6.25%, for FCR. During the entire breeding period 1-35d, the lowest FCR was recorded in T1 (1.65 kg CF/kg WG). The difference between experimental variants was not statistically for p>0.05.

Keywords

• broiler
• feed conversion ratio
• oregano essential oil
• phytobotanical additive
• tea tree essential oil