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Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Garlic (Allium Sativum) on Feed Intake, Growth Performance and Feed Conversion Efficiency in Goat Kids

Y. Chouhan1, A.K. Patil1,*, N. Kurechiya1, R.K. Jain1, A. Keshari1, M. Shivhare2, S. Nanavati3
1Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Mhow-453 441, Madhya Pradesh, India.
2Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Mhow-453 441, Madhya Pradesh, India.
3Department of Livstock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Mhow-453 441, Madhya Pradesh, India.

ABSTRACT

Background: With the ban on the use of antibiotics as feed additives and growth promoters in animal nutrition, livestock scientists are now shifting their attention towards natural and safe products like organic acids, probiotics, prebiotics and herbal growth promoters. Plants containing essential compounds can be a cost-effective means of improving efficiency of nutrient utilization and growth performance of animals. The medicinal properties of garlic may have beneficial effects on nutrient utilization and health of animals. However, very few studies have been reported whereby garlic has been fed to ruminants. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of dietary inclusion of garlic (Allium sativum) on feed intake, growth performance and feed conversion efficiency in goat kids.

Methods: Twelve kids of similar age were randomly allotted to two equal groups (n=6) on basis of body weight. All animals were maintained on common feeding regime consisting of required concentrate mixture and roughage as per requirement given by ICAR (2013). Kids in experimental group were supplemented with garlic @ 250 mg per kg body weight whereas; the control group was remaining unsupplemented. The study was conducted for 90 days. Animals were weighed fortnightly in the morning before offering feed and water. The data on growth rate in terms of body weight, average daily gain, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency were analysed as per standard procedures. 

Result: The results indicated that overall mean body weight and average dry matter intake were statistically (P>0.05) similar in both the groups. No significant difference was observed in feed conversion efficiency between the treatment groups. The average daily gain was statistically similar in both the groups, but numerically 5.31 per cent increased ADG was observed in garlic fed group. From the results it can be deduced that the garlic supplementation improves average daily gain by 5.31%. However, it has no effect on feed intake and feed conversion efficiency of goat kids. 

INTRODUCTION

Beneficial effects of herbs in farm animals may arise from the activation of feed intake and the secretion of digestive secretions, immune stimulation and antibacterial activity. Herbs can also contribute to the nutrient requirements of the animals; stimulate the endocrine system and intermediate nutrient metabolism. The ban on the use of synthetic antibiotics in feed has pushed animal nutritionists to use natural alternatives as growth promoters, such as prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, herbs and several others. Garlic (Allium sativum), one of such natural alternative growth promoters, is used globally as a spice in human food preparation. Various reports have exposed that garlic is a good source of essential nutrients and beneficial phytogenic compounds  that have ability to be incorporated in animal feed to enhance gut activity and promote growth performance  in livestock and poultry. Research abounds that indicates that garlic phytochemicals have  parasiticide, amoebicide, acarifuge, antifungal and immuno-stimulant effect in animals (Duke, 2002). Earlier studies on the effect of garlic supplementation on growth performance in animals have revealed inconsistence results. Bampidis et al., (2005) have reported no appreciable effect on growth of lambs fed with garlic bulbs, whereas, significant (P<0.01) improvement in the overall feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency in garlic supplemented calves was observed (Ahmed et al., 2009; Duvvu et al., 2018; Ghosh et al., 2010; Balamurugan et al., 2014). Keeping in view the various reports, this study was designed to assess the effect of garlic supplementation on feed intake, growth performance and feed conversion efficiency in goat kids.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Location
 
The present study was conducted in Department of Animal Nutrition and goat sheds of College of Veterinary Science and A.H., Mhow (Madhya Pradesh). Permission for using the animals for the experiment was duly taken from Institutional Animal Ethics committee (IAEC) constituted as per CPCSEA rules laid down by Government of India.
 
Preparation of garlic powder
 
Fresh garlic was purchased from the local market and garlic powder was prepared by dying/ drying garlic under sun for 3 days and then ground to pass through a 4 mm sieve.
 
Animals and experimental design
 
Twelve goat kids of approximately similar age and body weight (14.06±1.78) were selected and randomly allotted into two equal groups (n=6) on the basis of body weight. The kids were housed in goat shed, having facilities for individual feeding and watering.  All kids were maintained on common feeding regime consisting of required concentrate mixture, gram straw and green as per requirement given by ICAR, (2013). The kids in group T0 was not given any supplement (control). In addition to normal routine feeds and fodders, kids in groups T1 was given garlic powder @ 250 mg/kg BW for 90 days. To determine the actual intake of nutrients by each calf, representative samples of concentrate and roughage were taken. Dry Matter of the samples was determined by keeping them in hot air oven for 24 hours at 100°C. All feed samples were analysed for proximate composition as per the standard procedures (AOAC, 2005). Chemical composition of experimental diet is given in (Table 1). The body weight of all the experimental animals was recorded at fortnightly intervals. Feed intake was calculated on dry matter basis. The difference in the total quantity of feed left over after 24-hours was taken to calculate the average feed intake. Feed conversion efficiency was calculated as per Banerjee (1998) i.e., feed consumed (g)/body weight gain (g).
 

Table 1: Chemical composition of feeds offered to goat kids (% DM basis).


 
Statistical analysis
 
Data were subjected to statistical analysis using‘t’ test (Snedecor and Cochran, 1994). Independent‘t’ test was used to compare differences between groups and period means for different parameters by using SPSS 20.0 software.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Effect of garlic supplementation on voluntary feed intake of experimental kids
 
Feeding garlic did not resulted in any significant change in voluntary dry matter intake, but numerically the treatment group consumed more than the control. Similar intake of dry matter (DM) is suggestive of no adverse effects of garlic supplementation on palatability in goat kids (Table 2). This is consistent with reports from Jagota et al., (2021) and Zhong et al., (2019) who reported that garlic supplementation did not affect dry matter intake in crossbred calves  and lambs, respectively. Similar results were also reported by Rasoul et al., (2014) and Ikyume et al., (2017) in goats fed with garlic. However, Ghosh et al., (2010) observed significant increase in DMI in dairy calves fed with garlic.
 

Table 2: Fortnightly average dry matter intake (g/d) of goat kids.


 
Growth performance and feed conversion efficiency
 
No significant difference in body weight was observed between garlic supplemented and no supplemented kids from the first to sixth fortnight (Table 3). The average daily gain (grams) in body weight of experimental kids was statically similar (P>0.05) in both the groups but numerically 5.31 per cent higher weight was observed in garlic supplemented group in comparison to control group (Table 3). This improvement in the average daily gain might be due to the action of compounds like allicin and oregano-sulfur (Pourali et al., 2010). Similarly, Ahmed et al., (2009) reported that addition of 2.5% natural juice containing garlic significantly (P<0.05) increased the average daily gain in growing buffalo calves as compared to the control group. A higher average daily gain was also noted by Yan and Kim (2013) in pigs on supplementing with fermented garlic powder at the dose rate of 2 grams per kg of concentrate. However, garlic supplementation resulted in no positive influence on the average daily gain in growing lambs (Bampidis et al., 2005). This is in agreement with the views of Ramakrishna et al., (2003) that garlic additive probably enhanced the activities of pancreatic enzymes and provided micro-environment for better utilization of nutrients.
 

Table 3: Fortnightly body weight (kg) changes and average daily gain (g/d) of goat kids.


 
Feed conversion efficiency
 
The feed conversion efficiency (Table 4) ranged from 8.63±0.60 to 10.31±0.39 for the kids of control group. While kids in garlic supplemented group ranged from 8.82±0.48 to 10.59±0.49. The feed conversion efficiency remained same in kids between both the groups. Statistical analysis revealed no difference in feed conversion efficiency between the treatment groups implying garlic supplementation has not influenced the feed conversion efficiency. In agreement of present results, Ikyume et al., (2017) reported that garlic powder supplementation up to 1.5% in concentrate diet did not exert any adverse effect on performance of WAD goats. Similarly, no positive influence on the feed conversion efficiency by garlic supplementation was reported by Bampidis et al., (2005) in growing lambs and Balamurugan et al., (2014) in crossbred calves. This result is in contrary with reports by Duvvu et al., (2018) who observed that a significant (P<0.01) improvement in the  body weight gain, average daily gain, body condition score and feed conversion efficiency in garlic supplemented buffalo calves compared to the control group. Similarly, Zivkovic et al., (2019) showed that the use of fermented garlic powder, instead of antibiotics, resulted in better gain and also better feed conversion ratio, in piglet. Strickland et al., (2009) also reported that inclusion of raw garlic in diet of Merino lambs aged 6 months decreased the rate of feed conversion.
 

Table 4: Fortnightly feed conversion efficiency (FCE) of goat kids.

CONCLUSION

The study was carried out to find the effect of garlic supplementation on feed intake, growth performance and feed conversion efficiency of goat kids. From the results it can be deduced that the garlic (Allium sativum) supplementation improves average daily gain by 5.31%.  However, it has no effect on feed intake and feed conversion efficiency of goat kids.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors express thankfulness to the In-charge Livestock farm, Mhow and the Dean, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Mhow for providing necessary facilities to carry out the experiment.

FUNDING

This work was supported by the College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Mhow.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None.

REFERENCES


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