Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus) on the Performance of Commercial Broiler Chicken

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon citratus) on the  performance of commercial broiler chicken. A total of 144 straight-run day-old chicks were randomly assigned to six treatments, each  consisting of 4 replicates with 6 chicks totalling 24 chicks per treatment. Birds in treatment T1 (control) were fed a control basal diet.  In the remaining treatments, an Antibiotic growth promoter (Avilamycin) was supplemented with the basal diet @ 0.01% in T2, while  Lemongrass oil was supplemented with the basal diet @ 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.4% in T3, T4, T5 and T6 groups, respectively. At the end  of 6th week, no significant differences were recorded in the body weights or body weight gains of all the treatment groups. However,  apparently highest values of both were recorded in birds of T3 group followed by T4, T5, T6, T2 and T1 groups. There was no significant  difference in total feed consumption and feed conversion ratio among the birds fed with different dietary treatments. However, apparently  improved FCR was recorded in T4 diet followed by T3, T6, T1, T2 and T5 diets. The highest livability was observed in T4, T5 and T6 groups.  The highest return over feed cost was obtained in the birds fed with T3 (0.1 % Lemongrass oil) diet followed by T1, T4, T5, T2 and T6 diet,  respectively. Based on the study, it can be concluded that supplementation of Lemongrass oil @ 0.1% in the diet of broiler birds can be  considered a viable natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.