Optimizing Broiler Production Through Local Diets Supplemented with Ginger and Turmeric: Impacts on Physiology, Immunity, and Visceral Organ Development

2026-04-08T16:17:50+07:00

Local feeds have the potential to be used as feed ingredients in poultry diets. This study was to evaluate

the effects of local diets supplemented with ginger and turmeric meal and to compare with commercial broiler

feeds. In total, 180 one-day-old broilers were assigned to 36 pens and kept for 5-7 weeks. The birds were fed

experimental diets as follows control group (R1), the birds were fed as commercial diets, experimental diets

were: local feed + 2% ginger (R2), local feed + 2% turmeric (R3), local feed + 1% ginger + 1% turmeric (R4) and

slaughter age treatments: 5 weeks (P1), 6 weeks (P2), 7 weeks (P3) with 3 replicates. The results revealed no

significant interaction between diet type and slaughter age. The inclusion of ginger and turmeric meal in local

diets resulted in a significant (P<0.05) enhancement of immunity, evidenced by increased sizes of immune

organs, ventriculus, small intestine, and caecum compared to commercial diets. However, these dietary

treatments significantly reduced rectal temperature and respiration rate. Differences in the slaughter age of

chicken (5, 6, and 7 weeks) were significantly increased rectal temperature and respiration rate but significantly

decreased immune organ sizes and visceral organs weights. This study concludes that the inclusion of 1% ginger

and 1% turmeric meal in local diets (R4) offers a more efficient formulation, as it utilizes lower levels of additives

while still yielding favourable outcomes. This dietary strategy enhanced immune organ development and

visceral organ weights in broiler chickens, despite the general trend of increasing age being associated with

elevated rectal temperature and respiration rate. Furthermore, based on physiological, immunological, and

visceral organ parameters, the optimal slaughter age for broiler chickens fed local diets supplemented with

ginger and turmeric meal (R2, R3, and R4) was determined to be 5 weeks (P1)

ANIMAL PRODUCTION