Effect of Different Levels of Origanum Majorana Leaves Powder on Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The prohibition uses of antibiotics and coccidiosis opens the door for research into the natural alternatives to be used to enhance animal performance. Origanum Majorana (OM) is a native plant in the Middle East which have many secondary nutritional components that affect broiler performance. Three hundred and seventy-five, one-day-old (Ross 308) broiler chickens were distributed to five treatments with three replicates per treatment. Treatment T1 was the positive control which had fed with a coccidiostat. T2 was the negative control, feeding without coccidiostat. T3, T4, and T5 had the same feed as T2 with 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% of added OM leaf powder. The rearing period was extended to 35 days. Performance parameters were measured weekly. Four birds from each pen were slaughtered and carcass cuts were weighed. Breast and thigh meat samples were stored at 5Cο for 7 days, and meat color and pH were measured at days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of slaughtering. Feeding OM at a level of 0.5% showed a significant (P<0.05), increase in total feed intake and final body weight (3920 g, 2630.15g) compared to other groups. The lowest significant FCR was obtained in T4 on weeks 3, 4, and 5 (1.34, 1.33, and 1.51, respectively). There were no significant differences between treatments on thigh and breast L*, a*, b*, and meat pH. The L* value (59.19) for breast tends to be improved (P=0.0873) due to the use of 0.5% of OM In all treatments means the values of a*, b*, and meat pH increased significantly during the storage period while the value of L* was significantly reduced. Using OM will enhance the performance of broiler chickens and may improve the meat quality when it is used as a natural component substitute for coccidiostat and antibiotics.