Aloe vera in White Leghorn Layer Diet

Abstract

Two hundred and eighty commercial layer chicks belonging to single hatch were purchased from local hatchery, wing banded, weighed and randomly allotted into four treatment groups with four replicates of ten chicks each. The chicks were reared in cages in a gable roofed, open sided house. All the chicks were provided with uniform floor, feeder and waterer space and were reared under standard management conditions throughout the experimental period. Treatment groups were T₁- control; T₂-0.1% aloe vera powder; T₃-0.1% aloe vera + 0.1% Curcuma longa powder and T₄-0.1% of aloe vera and 0.1% of probiotic powder There was significant (p<0.05) difference in hen housed egg production, feed conversion ratio and return over feed cost in one percent aloe vera fed group compared to other treatment groups. No significant difference was observed in feed consumption, percent hen day egg production and percent broken eggs. It can be concluded that inclusion of 0.1 percent aloe vera in White Leghorn diet is economical compared to its combination with turmeric and probiotic at 0.1 percent level.