The aim of the study was to determine the effect of water extracts of fresh garlic, added to drinking water, on the immunological indices of blood, production results and chemical composition of meat. The experiment was performed on 204 heavy-type turkeys BIG 6 (male), reared until 18 weeks of age. One-day-old poults were divided at random into two groups, with 34 birds in each (3 replicates). All birds were fed on the same complete feed within the five-step system. Birds were had access to the experimental diets and water ad libitum. Drinking water was given in the control group without additives, but in the experimental group a water extract of crushed garlic was given twice a week at 0.5 g/l of water. The water extract of fresh garlic positively affected some blood parameters. This was confirmed by an increased lysozyme activity (by 7-45%), higher levels of leukocyte spontaneous migration (%), and a decrease in non-phagocyte cells (18 vs. 25%) as compared with the control group. Simultaneously, there was an increase in RBC (red blood cells), and Hb (hemoglobin) amount (by 8 and 20%, respectively), a lower cholesterol level, and a more favorable Ca/P ratio was noted. Turkeys given drinking water with water extract of fresh garlic were characterized by lower mortality (by 50%), decreased feed conversion rate (by 3.1%), and higher by 1.3% body weight as compared with the control group. Adding the water extract of fresh garlic to drinking water also affected the chemical composition of breast muscles, i.e. content of crude protein was higher by 3% (P £ 0.01), and fat and crude ash by 8%, respectively.
JavaScript jest wyłączony w Twojej przeglądarce internetowej. Włącz go, a następnie odśwież stronę, aby móc w pełni z niej korzystać.