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چکیده
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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nettle powder and organic acid supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits, small intestine morphology and hemato biochemical indices in broiler chickens from 1 to 28 days of age. A total of 360 one-day-old male and female Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to six treatments, consisting of four replicates and 15 birds per replicate in 24 boxes in a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments included basal diet, and diets containing 0.1% nettle powder, 0.2% nettle powder, 0.1% organic acid, 0.1% nettle powder and 0.1% organic acid, and 0.2% nettle powder and 0.1% organic acid. The results showed that using nettle and organic acids had no significant effect on body weight and average weight gain (P > 0.05), but average feed intake and feed conversion ratio at 0-7 days of age were influenced by nettle and organic acids and their combination (P < 0.05). However, only birds received 0.2% nettle and 0.1% nettle + 0.1% organic acids consumed more food at 15-24 days of age (P < 0.05). Dietary inclusion of different levels of nettle significantly increased the weight of jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05), while birds fed organic acids indicated a lower weight of thigh and breast (P < 0.05). The effect of treatment was not significant on small intestine morphological parameters (P > 0.05). Among investigated blood serum parameters, only HDL was affected by treatments, in which birds received 0.1% and 0.2% nettle powder showed higher blood HDL concentration in comparison with those fed basal diet (P < 0.01). In conclusion, nettle alone or in combination with organic acid had no effect on broiler performance.
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