The effect of clove extract on performance, digestibility of nutrients, digestive organ size and amount of the total intestine coliforms in broilers

This study was aimed to determine the effect of different levels of clove extract supplementation in diets on performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, digestive organ weight and total coliform microorganism counts of gut in broilers and to determine whether it could be alternative to antibiotic feed additives or not. In this study, three hundred commercial broiler chicks (Ross?308) were divided into groups of 60 birds in each and randomly assigned to the five treatment diets with three replicate. Chicks were consumed isocaloric and isonitrogenic prepared two different rations at 1 to 21 and 22 to 42 days of the experiment. Experimental groups were fed the basal diet (Control group) or the basal diet supplemented with 100 ppm of clove extract (C-100 group), 200 ppm of clove extract (C-200 group), 400 ppm of clove extract (C-400 group) and 0.1% (10 mg/kg) avilamycin (Antibiotic group). There were differences in body weight (P<0.05) and daily body weight gain (P<0.01) at 7. and 21. days measurements but differences of the other periods were not found stastically important (P>0.05). There was difference in daily feed intake (P<0.05) at 4. week of the experiment but differences of the other weeks were not found stastically important (P>0.05). The best feed conversion ratio was found in C?400 group and there were stastically important differences in feed conversion ratio at 1. (P<0.01), 3. (P<0.05), 4. ve 1?6. (P<0.01) weeks among groups. There were stastically important differences in dry matter, crude protein (P<0.05) and crude fat (P<0.01) digestibility among groups. The best digestibility degrees were found in C?400 and Antibiotic groups then C? 200, C?100 and Control groups followed them respectively. Except abdominal fat ratio (P<0.05), carcass characteristic and digestive organ weights were similar in all groups (P>0.05). Supplementing antibiotic and 400 ppm clove extract have been decreased the total coliform microorganism counts at 21. and 42. days of the experiment (P<0.001). Clove extract has the positive effects on performance and digestion process and it is natural and safety feed additive so that 400 ppm supplementation of clove extract to diets can be considered as an alternative natural growth promoter for poultry instead of antibiotics. Keywords: Clove extract, antibiotic, performance, digestibility, coliform microorganism, broiler.