This study was carried out to investigate the productivity of body weight gain, feed efficient, carcass productivity, internal organ weight and blood components after adding herb mixture to the broiler chicken feed for 6 weeks. The experiments were based on addition of none (Control group), 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 % herb mixture to the broiler chicken feed.
After the herb mixture was added, weight growth was significantly higher in all the treatment groups compared to the control group (treatment, 3,092 ∼ 3,114 g, vs. control, 2,883 g, P < 0.05), especially, in 0.5 % treatment group the highest weight growth was observed. Additionally, in the treatment groups, weight gain was does-dependant increased around 10 %. groups, weight gain was significantly higher in herb treatment groups than the control group (treatments, 3,027 ∼ 3,049 g, vs. control 2,817 g), especially, 0.5 % herb addition was resulted in the highest weight gain (P < 0.01). In the amount of feed intake , control group was the lowest, 4,682 g. In contrast, herb mixture group feed intake amount was increased as much as weight growth. In the mixture addition group, higher feed intake rate means herb did not affect preference of taste. In feed conversion rate, treatment group''s rate from 1.58 to 1.61, had been improved comparing with the control group (average 1.65). In the herb mixture added groups, the more mixture added, the more weight increased, but feed intake rate was reduced. In the 0.1 % addition group, the lowest intake rate was observed. After 6 weeks treatment, livability was 97 %, all the groups were the same.
Carcass weight with 24 hours fasting (without drink and food) after completely feeding test showed that 0.5 % herb mixture added group of 2,310 g is significantly higher than other group, 2,110 g (P < 0.05). live weight verse carcass rate were 77.29∼77.55 %, showed significantly higher than control group, 76.61 %. Heart weight in the 0.1 % herb mixture group was significantly higher than the other group, average 13. 65 g (P < 0.05). Average spleen weight was 2.994∼3.07 g in herb mixture group, it is higher than control group (2.85 g). In liver and bowel weight, the control group, average weight is significantly higher than 0.1 % herb mixture group (47.71 g vs. 56.69 g, P < 0.05). Healthy individual''s liver and bowel color has to be pinkish red or dark red with luster. In no herb mixture added group, only one entity had healthy pinkish red color liver. On the other hand, in 0.3, and 0.5 % herb mixture treatment group had 11 entities each.
As shown in the result of blood component analysis, total protein in serum in 0.1% herb mixture treatment group was lower than control group (2.51 ± 0.23 g. vs. control 2.82 ± 0.60 g). Control group was shown the least albumin concentration in serum compared to the herb mixture added group (control, 1.24 ± 0.19 g/dl vs. treatmet, 1.25∼1.33 g/dl). Concentration of T-bilirubin was not affected by the herb mixture addition.
GOT concentration in control group was significantly lower than treatment groups (control, 200 IU/L, vs, treatment group, 217 IU/L). On the other hand, concentration of GPT was the highest in the control group compared to the treatment group (control, 36.50 IU/L vs. herb groups, 11∼13·50 IU/L. it was does-dependent decreased.
In the case of LDH concentration in serum, the highest LDH concentration was observed in the 0.3 % treatment group (3,405 IU/L), significantly higher than control group (2,574 IU/L).
Total cholesterol concentration was the highest in the 0.5 % herb mixture added group(180.3 mg/dl). It was considered that as result of high weight gain, total cholesterol in blood was boosted when lipid metabolism was accelerated. Additionally, HDL-cholesterol was higher in all the treatment groups compared to the control group. It indicated that addition of herb mixture to the feed results in increasing of high density cholesterol concentration. Furthermore, in the case of LDL-cholesterol, it was higher in the 0.5 % treatment group compared to the control group. It was analyzed that in all the groups contents of triglycerides was less than 10 mg/dl, which is a normal concentration.
In conclusion, feeding herb mixture group have more or less improved than control on the productivity in broiler chickens.