EFFECT OF GUAVA LEAF MEAL ON PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE AND ANTIBACTERIAL SENSITIVITY IN COMMERCIAL BROILER

Abstract

This study was conducted at the poultry shed and poultry laboratory, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur. The study was carried out in order to apply the possibility of treated guava leaf meal in broiler diets to determine the effects of it’s at various levels of dietary treatment on production and quality characteristics of broiler. However, another investigation was also conducted to identify the antibacterial effects of guava leaf meal on broiler production. For this 180 day old broiler chicks were taken and divided into four treatments, each with three replications (15 birds/ replication) at the age of four or day and then offered manually prepared diets supplemented with 0%, 2.5%, 3.5 %, 4.5 % guava leaf meal after treating by means of some physical and chemical processes. Live weight, mortality rate, feed conversion ratio, internal fat content were calculated from the regular collecting data. At the same time antibacterial sensitivity test was also evaluated. The result showed that, feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio at different dietary treatments were almost similar and the differences were statistically non-significant except fat content, mortality rate and antimicrobial sensitivity. Fat content and mortality rate were decreased with increased level of guava leaf meal up to 4.5% level. However guava leaf extract had significant effect on antibacterial activity basically higher against EF. coli followed by streptococcus sp. and staphylococcus sp. and was significant at 5 % level of significance. Based on the results of present study it may be concluded that guava leaf is a good source of nutrients and it has significant effect on fat content of broiler, mortality rate and antimicrobial sensitivity without affecting the bird’s feed intake, body weight and feed conversion ratio. The results of the study suggest that supplementation of guava leaf meal (Psidium guajava) up to 4.5% level in diets has high potential as commercial applications for production performance of broiler. Therefore, guava leaf meal could be used along with other conventional feed ingredients. However, further study is to be needed to understand the active principle(s) of antimicrobial sensitivity and other beneficial effects of guava leaf meal observed in this experiment prior to practical use it as unconventional feed of poultry.