THE EFFECT OF MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAVES AS A FEED ADDITIVE ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS, BLOOD PARAMETERS AND ECONOMICAL EFFICIENCY IN MULARD DUCKS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Animal Production Department, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

A total number of 150 unsexed seven day old Mulard ducks were randomly classified into three equal groups of 5 replicates (10 ducklings each). The 1st group received the basal diet and served as control group (G1). The other two groups (G2 and G3) received the basal diet supplemented with Moringa oleifera as feed additive at the level of 1 and 2%, respectively till age 10 wks. The results showed that dietary Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL)at 1% significantly increased the final body weight by 9.5%, the daily body weight gain by 9.4% and the daily feed intake by 6.14%, respectively compared to the control group.   Moringa oleifera at 2% significantly decreased the final body weight by 6.7%, the body weight gain by 7.0% and the feed conversion ratio by 7.9%, while showed significant increase in liver weight by 1.6%, the gizzard weight by 13.2%, the giblet weight by 7.5%, the edible parts by 6.4% and the non edible parts by 13.3%, respectively compared to the control group.   Feeding MOLat 1% significantly increased the total protein by 13.7%, the albumin by 20.5% and the globulin by 7.4% respectively, compared to the control group. Dietary MOLat 1 and 2% MOL significantly decreased the cholesterol level by 39 and 25%, the triglycerides by 41.3 and 16%, the total lipids by 23.5 and 19.6% as well as decreased the alkaline phosphatase activity by 64.2 and 28.1%, the AST by 31.3 and 41.5% and the renal creatinine by 23.5 and 19.6% respectively, compared to the control group as well as the ALT significantly (P<0.05) decreased by 35.8 with 1% MOL while increased by 18.2% with 2% MOL. It could be concluded that 1% of MOL levels was better results than 2% level.

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