A master’s thesis at the College of Agriculture on the impact of adding Moringa leaf and seed powder to the diet on the productive, physiological, and immunological performance of broiler chickens.

The College of Agriculture at the University of Diyala discussed a master’s thesis titled “The Impact of Adding Moringa Leaf and Seed Powder to the Diet on the Productive, Physiological, and Immunological Performance of Broiler Chickens.”

The study, presented by the student Hassan Ibrahim Jasim, involved adding various amounts of Moringa leaf and seed powder to broiler diets and evaluating their impact on productive, physiological, and immunological traits. The experiment was conducted using 225 unsexed hybrid Ross 308 broiler chicks at one day of age, with an average chick weight of 40 ± 1 grams. The chicks were randomly assigned to five experimental treatments, with each treatment having three replicates of 15 birds each.

The study reached several key conclusions:

• Adding 3 and 6 kg of Moringa leaf powder per ton of feed, as well as 3 kg of Moringa seed powder per ton of feed, improved productive traits, including live body weight and cumulative weight gain. The treatment with 3 kg of Moringa leaf powder per ton of feed yielded the best results in weekly weight gain. However, adding 6 kg of Moringa seed powder per ton of feed negatively affected the productive traits of the broilers.

• The addition of 6 kg of Moringa leaf powder per ton of feed increased blood glucose levels, while other levels of Moringa leaf and seed powder did not differ significantly from the control group. All levels of Moringa powder reduced uric acid levels, indicating improved protein metabolism and digestion.

• Adding 6 kg of Moringa seed powder per ton of feed significantly enhanced the flavor of breast meat.

The study made the following recommendations:

• Using 3 kg of Moringa leaf powder per ton of feed to improve the productive performance of broiler chickens.

• Employing 3 kg of Moringa seed powder per ton of feed to increase the weight of thigh cuts.

• Utilizing 6 kg of Moringa seed powder per ton of feed to enhance the flavor of breast meat.

• Conducting further research on the effects of adding Moringa leaf and seed extracts to drinking water and feed for laying hens, turkeys, and quails to explore their influence on productive, physiological, and immunological performance.