Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Garlic (Allium sativum) and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Seed Powder on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Economics of Feeding in Broilers

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of dietary supplementation of garlic (Allium sativum) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seed powder as herbal feed additives on growth performance, carcass characteristics and economics of feeding in broilers. A total of 320 day old broiler chicks of Cobb-400 strain were divided into four treatment groups with 4 replicates of 20 chicks in each treatment using completely randomized design. Dietary treatments were basal diet without any supplementation (CON), basal diet supplemented with 0.5% garlic bulb powder (GAR), 0.5% fenugreek seed powder (FEN) and 0.5% of each garlic bulb powder and fenugreek seed powder (GAR-FEN). Average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (P<0.05) higher in the garlic supplemented group (GAR and GAR-FEN) as compared to CON and FEN group. Carcass characteristics showed non-significant (P>0.05) effect of garlic, fenugreek and either combination on dressing percent, weights of liver, gizzard, heart, spleen and length of intestine, caecum and carcass. Return over feed cost and profit per bird was highest in garlic supplemented group followed by combination of garlic and fenugreek, fenugreek and lowest in control group. Whereas, benefit: cost ratio was observed maximum in garlic group followed by control, fenugreek and lowest in combination of garlic and fenugreek. The present study reveals that supplementation of garlic bulb alone or in combination with fenugreek seed improves the growth performance and feed utilization efficiency and return over feed cost and profit per bird.