Effect of Feed Additive Supplement Tulsi (Ocimum Sanctum) Leaf Powder Effect on Body Weight, Gain in Broiler Chicks

Singh R

Published on: 2025-05-24

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf powder supplementation on the growth performance, feed consumption, and feed conversion efficiency of broiler chicks. Seventy-five day-old broiler chicks from a single hatch were reared in a cage system. The chicks were weighed, marked with leg bands, and randomly allocated into five treatment groups (T₀, T₁, T₂, T₃, and T₄) comprising 15 chicks per group. Each treatment group was further divided into three subgroups, with five chicks each, following a randomized block design (RBD). The birds were housed in cages providing 1 square foot per bird and fed a standard starter diet from days 1–21, followed by a broiler finisher diet from days 22–28. Tulsi leaf powder was added to the diets at levels of 0 g/kg (T₀, control), 2 g/kg (T₁), 4 g/kg (T₂), 6 g/kg (T₃), and 8 g/kg (T₄). Weekly measurements were recorded for live body weight, weekly weight gain, and feed intake over the four-week period. The results demonstrated that dietary supplementation with Tulsi leaf powder significantly enhanced body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency. The T₃ group (6 g/kg supplementation) exhibited the best performance, followed by the T₄ group (8 g/kg supplementation). Economic analysis highlighted that the T₃ treatment was the most cost-effective, delivering superior growth and feed efficiency compared to all other treatments and the control.