Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Amir Meimandipour ¹
• meysam heydarian ²
• yahya ebrahimnezhad ³
• seyed abdollah hosseini ⁴
• Mohammad hossein Banabazi ⁴

¹ National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

² Department of Animal Science, Shabestar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shabestar, Iran

³ Department of Animal Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran

⁴ Scientific member of Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the best growth stimulant combination using thyme and oregano essential oils (encapsulated and non-encapsulated) with or without probiotics in broiler chicken diets. A total of 840 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to seven treatments, each with five replicates of 24 birds. The treatments included: 1) basal diet (control), 2) basal diet + 10 mg Avilamycin (antibiotic), 3) basal diet + 200 mg/kg encapsulated thyme and oregano oils, 4) basal diet + 200 mg/kg non-encapsulated thyme and oregano oils, 5) basal diet + 200 mg/kg probiotic Pronigeb® (containing Lactobacillus reuteri, Pediococcus acidilactici and Bacillus subtilis with 109 CFU/gr , 6) basal diet + 200 mg/kg Pronigeb® + 200 mg/kg non-encapsulated oils, and 7) basal diet + 200 mg/kg Pronigeb® + 200 mg/kg encapsulated oils. Data on body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, survival rate, production index, carcass yield, abdominal fat, antibody titer against influenza, stress index (heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), and serum immunoglobulin G were collected. The TOPSIS method was used to evaluate the optimal treatment. Results showed that the combination of Pronigeb® and encapsulated thyme and oregano oils achieved the highest management score, making it the recommended additive for broiler diets.

Keywords

• Broiler
• Encapsulation
• Multiple attribute decision making technique
• Oregano and Thyme essential oil
• Probiotic

Main Subjects

• Modern technologies applied in animal and poultry sciences