TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effect of Feeding Powdered Black Cumin Seeds (<I>Nigella sativa </I>L<I>.</I>) on Growth Performance of 4-8 Week-Old Broilers
AU - , Ziad H.M. Abu-Dieyeh AU - , Mohammad S. Abu-Darwish 
JO  - Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances
VL  - 7
IS  - 3
SP  - 286
EP  - 290
PY  - 2008
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1680-5593
DO  - javaa.2008.286.290
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2008.286.290
KW  - Broiler
KW  -essential oil
KW  -growth rate
KW  -Nigella sativa
KW  -performance
AB  - An experiment was conducted in the poultry farm of Al-Shouback University College in the campus of Al-Balqa` Applied University to evaluate the effect of using a medicinal plant seed powder of black cumin (<I>Nigella sativa</I> L.) as a natural feed additive on the performance of 4-8 week-old broilers. Two hundred and forty growing broilers at 4 weeks of age were weighed and randomly distributed into four treatments, with 3 replicates. The seed powder of <I>N. sativa</I> was daily prepared and mixed with the broiler&#8217;s finisher diets at rates of 1.0, 1.5 and 2.5%  per  km  of  broiler&#8217;s  finisher  diet. Control group received a complete finisher diet free of <I>N.  sativa</I>  seed  powder  and  any  additive.  The  experimental  diets  of <I> N.  sativa</I> seed powder were offered <I>Ad libitum </I>during the age 4-8 weeks<I> </I>of lohman broilers reared in an open-sided poultry house. The results showed that, feeding of the diets with 1 and 1.5% <I>N. sativa</I> seeds for a period of 4 weeks was significantly (p&lt;0.05) increased the body gain of broilers by 10 and 14.5%, respectively. Broilers fed 1 and 1.5% of <I>N. sativa</I> had significantly (p&lt;0.05) lower feed to gain ratio than other treatments, the best feed efficiency was achieved by broilers given 1.5% <I>N. sativa</I> in their diet. Increasing the feeding rate of <I>N. sativa</I> up to 2% was associated with  a  significant  (p&lt;0.05) decrease of -2 and -8% in body gain and body weight, respectively. Inclusion of <I>N. sativa</I> seeds in the diet reduced the cumulative rate of mortality. Based upon this study, it could be concluded that using the medicinal seed powder of black cumin ( <I>Nigella sativa</I> L.) as a natural feed additive at a rate of 1.5% revealed positive effects on the performance and survivability of broilers grown at normal conditions in an open sided environment.
ER  -