EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING DIFERENT LEVELS OF NIGELLA SATIVA POWDER TO DIET DURING THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF AGE ON SOME PRODUCTIVE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES AND INTESTINAL FLORA OF BROILER

Abstract

Three hundred and sixty unsexed broiler chicks of one-day old were equally divided into four groups, 3 replicates per group (30 chicks/replicate). Chicks were allocated on standard ration supplemented with 0(control), 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 % of Nigella sativa seed meal which supported with 0, 0.06, 0.12 and 0.18% soybean oil during the whole experimental period (56 days) which represented treatments 1 (control group), 2, 3 and 4 respectively.Average live body weight, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved in birds fed diets contained with Nigella sativa seed meal supported with soybean oil as compared with control group. Bursa of Fabrcius of treated groups exhibited higher (p<0.05) relative weighs than control group, whereas the difference belongs to the Bursa index lacked significance. Moreover, supplementation of Nigella sativa seed meal had increased significantly the follicular diameter of Bursa of Fabrcius and the antibody titer against both of Newcastle and Gomboro diseases. On the other hand, the intestinal total count of bacteria and coliforms were inhibited significantly (p<0.01) in the treated groups as compared with the control group.It could be concluded that supplementation of Nigella sativa seed meal which supported with soybean oil to diet had a profound effect to enhance productive and immunological aspects and to inhibit the intestinal bacterial count of Fawbro broiler.