Effect of dietary palm oil on growth performance and stress response of broiler chickens

Broiler chickens were reared from 14 days of age to 42 days of age to investigate the effect of the dietary palm oil (5 per cent) on the growth performance and also the stress response of the broiler chicks. Thirty unsexed commercial broilers were designed into 2 treatment with 3 replications each (5 broiler chicks in each replication). The treatment group was provided with the addition of 5 per cent dietary palm oil into their commercial diet while the control group are given only commercial diet. The growth performance were evaluated in term of the feed consumption, body growth, the FCR and the body weight were recorded and calculated. The heterophils/lymphocytes ratio were counted every week (day 21, 28, 35 and 42) to evaluate the stress response of the broiler chicks. The results on growth performance, feed conversion ratio and body weight of the broiler were showing a significantly better recorded of the group of broiler that fed with the
addition of 5 per cent dietary palm oil (P<0.05. The lower value of H/L ratio was recorded in broiler chicks fed with commercial broiler diet supplemented with 5 per cent of dietary palm oil. The control group which not provided with the dietary palm oil is showing greater H/L ratio which indicated that the broiler chicks in the particular groups are having more stress.