title: Effects of Satureja khuzistanica essential oils in drinking water on mortality, production performance, water intake, and organ weights in broiler chickens reared under heat stress condition.
abstract: An experiment was conducted to examine the effects on mortality, production performance, water intake (WI), and organ weight of Satureja khuzistanica essential oil (SkEO) using 720 1-day-old Arian broiler chicks in a 42-day trial. Experimental treatments were addition of 0 (control(-)), 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/L SkEO or 500 mg/L polysorbate 80 (control(+)) into drinking water. The birds were kept under natural ambient temperatures 4 to 6 °C above standard recommendation from days 22 to 42 of age. Addition of SkEO into drinking water at 200 and 500 mg/L decreased weight gain (P < 0.05) of the birds from days 29 to 35 of age with no differences in feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to control groups (P > 0.05). Supplementation of drinking water with 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/L SkEO resulted in a 0.47, 4.40, 8.60, and 12.93% decrease in WI, respectively, from days 1 to 42 of age. The calculated European broiler index was greater for the birds received 400 mg/L of SkEO in their drinking water compared with that of the other birds (P < 0.05). Pancreas percentage was increased for the birds received 200 to 500 mg/L SkEO at days 21 and 42 of age compared with that of the control(-) birds (P < 0.05). The gall bladder weight was 17.56, 40.50, 12.16, and 38.73% greater for the birds received 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/L SkEO compared with that of the control(-) birds, respectively. The results showed that an addition of 400 mg/L SkEO into drinking water for heat-stressed broiler chickens improves economic efficiency possibly by promoting digestion process, creating miniscule improvement in FCR and lowered mortality rate.
authors: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, P.B. 465, Khorramabad, 6813717133, Lorestan, Iran. khosravi_fafa@yahoo.com.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Khosravinia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D060766:Drinking Water; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D031362:Satureja
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: Broiler chicken; Heat stress; Satureja khuzistanica; Water intake; Zootechnical performance