RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS TO IN OVO AND ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF TOMATO (Lycopersicum esculentus, Mill.)FRUIT EXTRACT

Abstract

ABSTRACT Early feeding in poultry production provides required nutrients to birds either during the period when the embryo is developing or immediately after hatching. This study comprised of two experiments. In experiment I, the response of broiler chickens to in ovoinjection of tomato fruit extract (TFE) was investigated, while experiment II evaluated the response ofbroiler chickens to oral administration of TFE. A total of 300 hatching eggs of Arbor Acre strain of broiler chickens were used for experiment I. The eggs were sorted, and 300 eggs were found to be settable. After candling the eggs on the 14th day of incubation, 228 eggs were fertile. These eggs were distributed into four treatments: control (non-injected), in ovo administration of 0.05 ml deionized water, 0.05 ml tomato TFE and 0.1 ml TFE, with each treatment containing 57 fertile eggs. In ovo injection of eggs was carried out on the 18th day of incubation. At the end of the incubation period, hatched chicks (176) were weighed and distributed into four replicates. In experiment II, one hundred and ninety-two unsexed Arbor Acre strain of broiler chicks were used. The chicks were weighed and distributed into four treatments (0 ml/L TFE, 10 ml/L TFE, 20 ml/L TFE and 30 ml/L TFE). They were replicated four times, each consisting of 12 birds. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance in a Completely Randomized Design using Minitab® 21.4.1 (Minitab, 2023) version. Results obtained in experiment I showed that final weight (2400.30 g) and weight gain (2357.77 g) were highest (p< 0.05) in birds from eggs injected with 0.1 ml TFE. Birds from eggs injected with 0.1 ml of TFE had better feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to birds in the control group. At the starter phase, birds from eggs injected with 0.1 ml of TFE had the highest (p<0.05) packed cell volume (28.00 %), haemoglobin (10.22 g/dl), total protein (8.05 g/dl), Aspartate aminotransferase (46.00 U/L) and Alanine aminotransferase (112.50 U/L)in experiment I. Birds from eggs injected with 0.1 ml TFE had the highest Superoxide dismutase and Glutathione peroxidase at the starter phase in experiment I compared to what was obtained in the control group. Carcass characteristics, gut morphometry and caeca of the birds were not significantly influenced (p>0.05) by in ovo injection and oral administration of Tomato fruit extract. Duodenal villus height and width were highest in birds from eggs injected with 0.1 ml TFE and those on oral administration of 10 ml/L of TFE. The study concluded that injection of 0.1 ml TFE in ovo improved FCR, blood antioxidant level, and intestinal development in broiler chickens. Stress in broiler chickens can be reduced by in ovo injection TFE at the rate of 0.1 ml/egg at the starter phase and oral administration of up to 30ml of tomato fruit extract per litre of water on day 42.