A Master’s Thesis at the College of Agriculture Examines the Effect of Adding Different Levels of Seaweed Powder to the Diet on the Productive, Physiological, and Immunological Performance of Ross 308 Broiler Chickens.
The College of Agriculture at the University of Diyala Discussed a Master’s Thesis Entitled:
“The Effect of Adding Different Levels of Seaweed Powder to the Diet on the Productive, Physiological, and Immunological Performance of Ross 308 Broiler Chickens.”
The study, presented by the student Ali Yaseen Khudair, aimed to evaluate the impact of supplementing broiler diets with varying levels of seaweed powder by measuring:
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Changes in the productive performance of broiler chickens,
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Alterations in the qualitative traits of broiler carcasses,
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Variations in physiological parameters,
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Differences in the sensory attributes of broiler meat, and
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Modifications in humoral immunity.
The study yielded several conclusions, including:
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The inclusion of 7.5, 15, 22.5, and 30 grams of seaweed powder per kilogram of feed led to improvements in productive traits.
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The inclusion of 30 g/kg resulted in a significant increase in blood glucose levels, while other inclusion levels showed no statistically significant differences compared to the control group.
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All levels of seaweed powder supplementation led to a notable increase in serum albumin concentration.
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The addition of 30 g/kg of seaweed powder significantly improved the visual color characteristic of the thigh meat.
The study recommends:
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Adopting the inclusion level of 22.5 g/kg of seaweed powder in broiler diets to enhance productive performance.
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Using the same level (22.5 g/kg) to increase the proportionate weight of the dorsal (back) cut.
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Conducting further research on the use of seaweed extract in drinking water and feed for laying hens, turkeys, and quails, to assess its effects on productive, physiological, and immunological performance.
