HEMATOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, IMMUNOMODULATORY AND GROWTH PROMOTING EFFECT OF FEED ADDED WILD MINT (Mentha longifolia) IN BROILER CHICKS

A research study was conducted at Peshawar to investigate the effect of Habek mint on the hematology, immunity and overall performance of broilers. One hundred and sixty day-old broiler chicks were purchased from a local hatchery and divided into four groups (A, B, C and D; each group representing four replicates with 10 chicks per replicate). Group A, B and C were respectively given Habek mint in feed at the rate of 5, 10 and 15 g/kg of feed and group D was kept control. Mean body weight, dressing percentage, gross return, heart weight, antibodies titer against IB was significantly (P 0.05) higher for broilers in group C. Mean feed and water intake, thigh, breast, gizzard and liver weight, abdominal fat deposition, feed cost, packed cell volume (PCV), Total leukocyte count (TLC), hemoglobin, albumin and protein levels were not significantly influenced by feeding mint to broilers. Findings of the present study suggested that feeding habek mint @ 15g/kg feed, improved growth performance, FCR, immunity and gross return of the broilers. Improvement in immunity of the broilers by feeding mint suggested that further investigations on mint would be better option to study status of various responses to variety of infectious diseases in broilers