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Abstract The present study was conducted in a Private Broiler Farm located at Shebin El- kom, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt, in order to investigate the effect of supplementing broiler diets with some herbal plant’s powder; garlic1 (Allium sativum), thyme2 (Thyme vulgaris) and their mixture, on the performance, carcass characteristics and some serum parameters of broiler chicks under experimental conditions. Two hundred and ten one – day old, unsexed Arbor - Acres chicks were used in this experiment. Chicks were wing banded, weighed, and randomly allotted into seven treatment groups, 3 replicates of 10 chicks per each group. Throughout the 5 - weeks experimental period, chicks were given feed and water ad libitum. Chicks were individually weighed weekly. The experimental diets were designated as diets T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, and T7. Diet 1, control (with no garlic or thyme powder 85 supplementation) while diets from T2 – T7 contained garlic or thyme as follows: T2: Control diet + 1% garlic powder. T3: Control diet + 2 % garlic powder. T4: Control diet + 0.2 % thyme powder. T5: Control diet + 0.4 % thyme powder. T6: Control diet + 1 % garlic powder + 0.2 % thyme powder. T7: Control diet + 2 % garlic powder + 0.4 % thyme powder. The basal corn- soybean meal (starter and finisher) diet used contained ME of 3000 kcal/ kg diet and 82 % (DM) , 23% and 20.5% ( CP) , 1 % ( Ca) , and 0.53% (av. P). All diets were formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of the chicks according to the strain catalog recommendations. Artificial light was used beside the normal day light to provide 24- hours / day photo period. Performance parameters, feed conversion and carcass characteristics or lymphoid organs and serum biochemical parameters were estimated. Also, European efficiency index, economic and relative economic efficiency were determined. The results indicated that: Body weight and body weight gain were progressively improved by increasing dietary single or combined garlic and thyme powder. Levels of 2% garlic + 0.4% thyme (T7) gave a body weight 2204g. The smallest body weight gain (BWG) was obtained with 2% garlic powder (T3); being 718 and 1999 g/ chick at 3 and 5 weeks, respectively. 1- Feed intake (FI) was significantly decreased (P≥ 0.05) throughout the entire experimental period (0-5 weeks) by dietary single or combined garlic and thyme powder except treatment T2 (1% garlic powder, 101g) compared to the control treatment (102g). 2- The average feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved with the supplementation. The overall FCR of the control diet was 1.60 in comparison with (1.51, 1.41, 1.36, 1.34, 1.33and 1.34) for groups T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 and T7, respectively. 3- Average water consumption of groups fed garlic powder either single or mixed with thyme was significantly (P≤ 0.05) increased. The highest values were obtained with groups fed 2% garlic (T3), (127 ml/ b/ d) followed by the mixture of 2% garlic + 0.4% thyme (T7), (123 ml/ b/ d) and chicks fed 1% garlic (112.46 ml/ b/ d) compared to (105.50 ml/ b/ d) of the control diet. 4- The European efficiency index (EEI) was significantly affected by garlic or thyme supplementation single or mixed. The highest EEI was obtained when chicks fed mixture of 2% garlic + 0.4% thymeT7; 410.83 followed by a mixture of 1% garlic + 0.2% thyme,T6; being 400.38). Meanwhile, PN was 399.63 when chicks fed the highest level of thyme (0.4%), T5; compared to 309.16 at the control group. 5- Performance index (PI) was significantly increased with garlic and thyme supplementation. The best PI was obtained when chicks fed 2% garlic + 0.4% thyme powder (T7) being, 144.05 in comparison with the control group being, 108.15. There were no significant 6- 88 differences between chicks fed 0.4% thyme (T5), 139.80 and both mixture levels (T6 and T7) being, 139.22 and 144.05, respectively. Slaughter weight was slightly increased with herbal extract supplementation. Chicks fed 0.4% thyme had the highest dressing percent (73.35%) when compared to 66.23 % for the control group. 7- Lymphoid organs were significantly increased with different supplementation levels except chicks fed the supplementation of 2% garlic powder at 3 and 5 weeks; lymphoid organs were equal to or less than the control (4, 1.23 and 2.87), (8, 3.13 and 7.29), respectively vs. (4.67, 1.26 and 2.94), (6.67, 3.13 and 7.30) at the control group. 8- Garlic and thyme powder significantly (P≤ 0.05) increased total protein, albumin, globulin and A/G ratio. The highest total protein value at 5 weeks of age was 3.79 at T6 compared to the control group (2.64). 9- 89 Total cholesterol was significantly decreased with garlic or thyme supplementation. Cholesterol values at 3 weeks of age were 125, 120, 130, 133, 129 and 135 mg/ dl for T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 and T7, respectively in comparison with 146 mg/ dl for the control group (T1). Whereas, at 5 weeks of age, total cholesterol values were 117, 114, 125, 130, 128 and 121 mg/ dl for T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 and T7, respectively compared to 139 mg/ dl for the control group (T1). 10- Garlic and thyme supplementation decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzymes. The lowest AST and ALT values at 3 weeks of age were (216 and 223 U/ L) and (6.34 and 6.15 U/L) for 1 and 2% garlic supplementation, respectively. The same trend was noticed at 5 weeks of age, the lowest AST and ALT values were (323 and 290 U/ L) and (11 and 11.33 U/L) for 1 and 2% garlic supplementation, respectively. 11- Garlic and thyme supplementation decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzymes. The lowest AST and ALT values at 3 weeks of age were (216 and 223 U/ L) and (6.34 and 6.15 U/L) for 1 and 2% garlic supplementation, respectively. The same trend was noticed at 5 weeks of age, the lowest AST and ALT values were (323 and 290 U/ L) and (11 and 11.33 U/L) for 1 and 2% garlic supplementation, respectively. |