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Full Research Article

Production Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Mortality and Cost of Production of the Layer Chicken on Dietary Supplementation of Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

D.C. Yadav1,*, D.S. Bidhan1, V. Sharma1, S. Sahu1, Amandeep1, S. Sihag2, D.S. Dalal3
1Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar-125 004, Haryana, India.
2Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar-125 004, Haryana, India.
3Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar-125 004, Haryana, India.

ABSTRACT

Background: A feeding trial was conducted to find out the effect of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) supplementation on production performance, nutrient digestibility, mortality and cost of production of the layer chicken.

Methods: Two hundred and twenty five laying chickens of twenty two weeks of age were randomly divided in to five treatment groups having three replications of fifteen birds each i.e. T0 (basal diet without antibiotic growth promoter, AGP-negative control group), T1 (basal diet with AGP-control group), T2 (T0+1% aloe vera), T3 (T0+2% aloe vera) and T4 (T0+3% aloe vera). 

Result: There was significant (P<0.05) difference in the average feed consumption (g/hen/day), hen day egg production, hen housed egg production, egg mass production, dry matter metabolizability and nitrogen retention upon supplementation of aloe vera in the diet of layers. The feed conversion ratio in terms of feed intake (kg) per dozen of eggs was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the control and 1% aloe vera supplemented groups as compared to the negative control group. Thus, it can be recommended that 1% aloe vera can be supplemented in the diet of layers as a herbal feed supplement.

INTRODUCTION

The poultry sector in India has transformed into a dynamic agribusiness, propelled by domestic economic growth and changes in consumption patterns (Ajaykumar et al., 2024). The high consumption of poultry products also necessitates great care in safeguarding the industry against intimidating factors in terms of public health also (Singh et al., 2023). Herbal feed additives improve intestinal microflora population and enhance health in bird's digestive system through reduction in number of disease making bacteria (Mitsch et al., 2004). In addition, modified harmful microbial population in intestines will change intestinal morphology which is responsible for improved performance and reduced feed conversion ratio (Montagne et al., 2003).
       
A well-known herb that is aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), known as one of the oldest herbs with a history that dates back to traditional medicine thousands years ago (Christaki et al., 2010; Ahlawat and Khatkar, 2011). Aloe vera is characterized by properties such as anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory, wound-healing, anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic effects (Gautam et al., 2004; Ezeibekwe et al., 2009; Moorthy et al., 2009; El-Shemy et al., 2010; Nwaoguikpe et al., 2010; Toghyani et al., 2011 and Elwan et al., 2019). Aloe vera’s abundant phytochemistry has demonstrated a significant improvement in poultry bird performance in terms of body weight gain (Alemi et al., 2012).  Major ingredients of aloe vera that contribute to these properties include anthraquinones, saccharides, vitamins, enzymes and low-molecular weight compounds (Christaki et al., 2010; Alemi et al., 2012). Therefore, keeping in view the present scenario of poultry industry, the current study was executed to investigate the effect of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) supplementation on the production performance of layer chicken.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research was approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar (Haryana).
       
The research trial was conducted at Poultry Farm, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding. Two hundred and twenty five chicken layers of twenty two weeks of age were randomly divided into five treatment groups with three replicates of fifteen birds in each. The experimental birds in treatment group T0 (Negative control without antibiotic growth promotor) and T1 (Control with antibiotic growth promotor) were fed basal ration formulated as per BIS (2007) standards. In the experimental groups T2, T3 and T4 aloe vera leaves (fresh) were supplemented in basal ration @ 1%, 2% and 3%, respectively which was procured from Medicinal, Aromatic and Underutilized Plants Section, Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, CCS HAU, Hisar. The experiment was conducted for a period of twenty weeks. The experimental birds were housed in three tier cages.
       
Before formulation of ration, the feed ingredients were analyzed (AOAC, 2005) for proximate composition (Table 1). The composition of the experimental control ration (T1) is presented in Table 2.
 

Table 1: Chemical composition (%DM basis), metabolizable energy (ME, Kcal/Kg) and cost (₹/100 Kg) of feed ingredients used for formulating the experimental rations.


 

Table 2: Ingredient and chemical composition of ration for layers of control group.


       
Observations recorded during the research experiment included body weight, feed consumption, percent hen day egg production, egg mass production, feed conversion ratio, metabolism trial, mortality and cost of production. The body weights of individual chicken layer was recorded at 22 weeks of age and subsequently at the interval of four weeks up to 42 weeks of age by using single pan balance. Feed consumption was recorded at fortnightly intervals. Egg production was recorded daily; separate record for individual bird was maintained for entire experimental period i.e. 22 to 42 weeks of age of laying hens. At the end of each week the egg weights were recorded. Egg weights were measured by using electronic weighing balance. Daily records of mortality were maintained. Three birds from each treatment were randomly selected and transferred to metabolic cages. Feed cost was computed for each treatment. The prices of various feed ingredients used in the study were obtained from Department of Animal Nutrition, LUVAS. Cost of aloe vera supplementation was also added for computation of total feed cost for T2, T3 and T4.
       
Data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis as per Snedecor and Cochran (1994) using completely randomized design (CRD).  All the data were subjected to ANOVA using the General Linear Models procedure of SPSS software. The mean differences among different treatments were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests. Consequently, a level of (P<0.05) was used as the criterion for statistical significance (Duncan, 1955).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Body weight
 
There was no significant effect on body weight of chicken layers among treatment groups throughout the experimental period. The body weight results indicate that aloe vera supplementation in the diet of layers did not have any adverse effect on the growth of layers. The same pattern was reported by Darabighane et al., (2011b) for comparing the effects of aloe vera gel (mixed with feed) and AGP (virginiamycin) indicated that there was no significant (P<0.05) difference observed between the antibiotic group and the 2% aloe vera gel group in terms of body weight gain of chicken broilers. Mehala and Moorthy (2008) fed broilers with aloe vera powder (0.1 and 0.2%) and Curcuma longa powder (0.1 and 0.2%) and a mixture of these two powders and reported no significant difference in body weight gain, except for the first week of treatment. Similar to our findings, Yadav (2015) studied the effect of supplementation of aloe vera on the performance of chicken broilers and observed that on supplementation of diet with aloe vera, the average body weight of broiler chicks showed statistically non-significant differences among various treatments at all ages.
 
Feed intake
 
The overall mean value of feed intake was lowest in antibiotic growth promotor supplemented group followed by 3%, 1%, 2% aloe vera supplemented group and highest for negative control group (without antibiotic growth promotor). The feed intake results (Table 3) for complete experimental observations showed that aloe vera holds good palatability as that of diet fed in control group except during the first fortnight of experimental period where it was significantly lower which may be attributed to acclimatization of layers to diet supplemented with aloe vera at the start of experiment. In resemblance with the present study, Moorthy et al., (2009) observed that, there was no significant difference in feed consumption after inclusion of aloe vera in White Leghorn diet. Hassanbeigy-Lakeh et al., (2012) supplemented broiler drinking water with aloe vera gel (0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 and 3 ml per liter) and found that aloe vera gel had no effect on feed intake over the total experiment period. Contrary to our findings, Eevuri and Putturu (2013) found that aloe vera supplementation in broiler’s ration decreased the feed intake.
 

Table 3: Mean values of feed consumption (g/hen/day) during the experimental period under different dietary treatments.


 
Egg production
 
Aloe vera supplemented groups had significantly (P<0.05) higher hen day egg production than that of negative control (Table 4). Therefore, aloe vera at the inclusion level of 1% can efficiently be utililized in the diet of layers. In agreement to these findings, Moorthy et al., (2009) observed that, there was a significant (P<0.05) difference in hen housed egg production in 0.1 per cent aloe vera powder fed group compared to other treatment groups (Table 5). They concluded that inclusion of 0.1 percent aloe vera powder in White Leghorn diet is economical compared to its combination with turmeric and probiotic at 0.1 per cent level. In concurrence to our findings, Yambayamba and Mpandamwike (2017) observed that hen day egg production was higher (P=0.001) in commercial layers feed +Aloe vera+Propolis (ALOEPROP) (90.8%) and commercial layers feed+Aloe vera (ALOE) (88.5%) layers than in commercial layers feed+Propolis (PROP) (81.5%) and commercial layers feed only (CONT) (78.1%) layers.
 

Table 4: Mean values of percent hen day egg production during the experimental period under different dietary treatments.


 

Table 5: Mean values of percent hen housed egg production during the experimental period under different dietary treatments.


 
Egg mass production
 
The egg mass production (g/day/hen) increased significantly (P<0.05) in aloe vera supplemented groups (1%, 2% and 3%) as well as in control group in comparison to negative control group (Table 6). In accordance with our findings, Hasan (2014) conducted an experiment to investigating effect of Aloe vera leaves gel and Vitamin C, added to drinking water, on the productive performance of Japanese female quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at 25 weeks of age. The effect of Vitamin C at 250 mg/liter water showed significance (P<0.05) on egg mass compared to control.
 

Table 6: Mean values of egg mass production (g/day/hen) during the experimental period under different dietary treatments.


 
 
Feed conversion ratio
 
The feed conversion ratio was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the control and 1% aloe vera supplemented groups as compared to the negative control group (Table 7). 1% aloe vera supplementation has positive effect on feed conversion ratio in laying hens. Present findings are in agreement with the findings of Moorthy et al., (2009) who observed that, there was a significant (P<0.05) difference in feed conversion ratio in 0.1 per cent aloe vera powder fed group compared to other treatment groups. Mehala and Moorthy (2008) fed broilers with aloe vera powder (0.1 and 0.2%) and Curcuma longa powder (0.1 and 0.2%) and a mixture of these two powders and reported no significant difference in FCR, except for the first week of treatment. In contrary to present findings, Darabighane et al., (2011b) conducted an experiment for comparing the effects of aloe vera gel (mixed with feed) and AGP (virginiamycin) and reported that no significant (P<0.05) difference was observed between the antibiotic group and the 2% aloe vera gel group in terms of FCR. Hasan (2014) reported that feed efficiency had no significance (P<0.05) in a study to investigating effect of Aloe vera leaves gel and Vitamin C on the productive performance of Japanese female quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica).
 

Table 7: Mean values of feed intake (kg) per dozen of egg production during the experimental period under different dietary treatments.


 
Nutrient metabolizability
 
Dry matter metabolizability and nitrogen retention (%) were significantly increased as the level of dietary aloe vera increased (1% to 3% of feed) in layers as compared to control (with antibiotics) and negative control group. The gross energy (GE) metabolizability values were not affected by different levels of aloe vera inclusion in the diet of laying hens in comparison to the negative control and control groups (Table 8 and 9). It might be due to increased villi length, villi width and crypt depth in the gastro-intestinal tract of layers which causes increased efficiency of nutrient utilization in layers supplemented with different levels of aloe vera in the basal ration. 
 

Table 8: Mean values of metabolizability/retention of dry matter (%), nitrogen (%) and gross energy (%) of different dietary treatments.


 

Table 9: Mean values of apparent metabolizable energy (Kcal/kg feed) and Nitrogen corrected metabolizable energy of different rations.


 
Mortality
 
Birds died during experiment (22-42 weeks) were 3, 1, 1, 2 and 1 in treatment groups T0, T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. The mortality results observed in the dietary treatment groups of layers during the whole experimental period showed that the addition of aloe vera to the basal ration of layers do not have any ill effects on the health and liveability of layers.
 
Economics of feeding
 
The results indicate that 1% aloe vera supplementation in the diet of layers has marginally increased the cost but the difference as compared to control group can be nullified by the added benefits of herbal eggs produced in comparison to use of antibiotics in the diet (Table 10).
 

Table 10: Cost of production of layers under different treatments at the end of experiment.

CONCLUSION

From the overall results of the present research, it is understandable that the dietary supplementation of aloe vera in the chicken layers has significantly positive effect on feed intake, egg mass production and feed conversion ratio. Thus, based on the findings, it can be recommended that 1% aloe vera can be supplemented in the diet of chicken layers as a herbal feed additive.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

REFERENCES


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