EFFECT OF BEE VENOM ON PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE AND IMMUNE RESPONSE OF BROILERS

During recent years, researchers evaluated many of eco-friendly alternatives to antibiotics such natural bee products as growth promoters in poultry production to improve the productive efficiency, modify the gut microflora, control diseases and enhancing the immune-response. The present study aimed at assessing the impacts of bee venom in drinking water on the growth performance, carcass merits, blood health, and immunity of broilers. Three hundreds and seventy five unsexed one-day old Avian chicks with an initial body weight of (45.2 ± 0.7g), were obtained from a local commercial hatchery. Chicks were kept at a private poultry farm under supervision of Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University. Chicks were divided randomly into five equal experimental groups; each group divided into 3 replicates; each replicate has 25 birds. Control group (C) received drinking water without any supplementation (tap water). Treatment 1, 2, 3 and 4 received drinking water treated with bee venom at the level of (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg/Liter), respectively. Results showed that, birds received bee venom at the level of 2.0 mg/L drinking water had significantly (P≤0.05 and 0.01) the highest body weight. Chicks received bee venom at the level of 2.0, 1.5 and 1.0 mg/L. drinking water recorded superior (p≤0.05) weekly body weight gains than those fed 0.5 mg/L and control group. The highest (p≤0.05) amount (3008.9gm) of total feed consumption per bird recorded by the control group compared to (2908.9, 2907.0, 2916.6 or 2916.2) of those received bee venom at the levels of 2.0, 1.5, 1.0 or 0.5 mg/L, respectively. Regarding feed conversion ratio, through the whole experimental period (0 to 5 week), there were no significant differences among treated groups while, it has a significant improvement compared to birds in control group. There were significant (P≤0.05) effects for carcass, dressing, abdominal fat and relative liver, thymus, and spleen weights between broilers received drinking water supplemented with different levels of bee venom and those of the control. No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed for each IgA, IgG, and IgM. It could be concluded that the use of bee venom in drinking water of broilers up to 2mg/L. is able to improve productive performance, carcass traits and some blood biochemical parameters.