Antibiotic and Antihelminthic Effects of Garlic Bulbs (Allium sativum) and Ginger Rhizomes (Zingiber officinale) as Growth Promoters on Broiler Chickens in the Tropics

A hundred and fifty (150) day old Cobb strain broiler chicks were used in the study to evaluate the antibiotic and antihelminthic potentials and efficacies of ginger and garlic meals in their diets. On arrival the birds were weighed and allotted to five (5) treatments with three (3) replicates of ten (10) birds each. The test ingredients were grind into a meal separately before incorporated at the varying levels of 75% GBM (Garlic Bulb Meal) and 25% GRM (Ginger Rhizome Meal), 50% GBM and 50% GRM and 25% GBM and 75% GRM as treatments 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Treatments 1 and 2 serve as (control) and 10% antibiotics (Diaziprim – 48%S) both at various phases of production. Performance parameters, nutrient digestibility/retention, antiomicrobial analyses were investigated. Results from the starter and finisher phases show no significant (p>0.05) difference in initial weight, final weight, weight gain, feed intake, average daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. Percentage mortality showed significant (p<0.05) difference among the various treatment levels in both phases. However, treatment 5 had the highest value in final body weight gain, while treatment 3 had the lowest body weight gain. Mortality was highest in treatment 1 but none in treatments 4 and 5. Also crude fibre was significant (p<0.05) in the nutrient digestibility and protein retention. Results of this study showed that high performance was achieved at 25% (25g) GBM and 75% (75g) GRM inclusion in broiler chickens diet. Based on the performance and the microbial counts, GBM and GRM can be used to replace synthetic antibiotics in broiler chicken production without adverse effect.