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The growing concerns over antibiotic resistance and the need for safer alternatives in broiler production make exploring natural additives like plant extracts imperative to enhance broiler health and performance. This study evaluated the effect of aqueous bamboo leaf extract (BLE) in drinking water on broiler chickens’ performance, haematological indices, and blood oxidative status. Ninety-six Ross 308 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments: T1 (Control, ordinary water), T2 (antibiotics (Tetranor 5% at 5 g per litre of water)), T3 (50 ml BLE per litre of water) and T4 (100 ml BLE per litre of water), each with four replicates of six birds. Performance data were recorded weekly over 8 weeks, and blood samples were collected on day 56 for haematological and oxidative status analysis. Data were analysed using SAS (2000) with means separation via Tukey’s test. Results showed that broilers that consumed water containing 100ml/L BLE had the highest (p < 0.05) live weight (LW) of 1078.20 g and weight gain (WG) of 1029.19 g at the starter phase. At the finisher phase, broilers in the 100ml BLE group had the highest (p < 0.05) LW (2695.42 g) and zero mortality, whereas the control group recorded the lowest LW (1672.95 g). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved (p < 0.05) in broilers that had access to water containing 100 ml/L BLE at both phases. Haematological analysis revealed increased (p < 0.05) packed cell volume and haemoglobin concentrations in the 100 ml/L BLE group. Oxidative stress markers showed lower (p < 0.05) malondialdehyde levels for broilers in the 100 ml/L BLE group than those in the control group. Superoxide dismutase was reduced (p < 0.05) for broilers given ordinary water and those given antibiotics but increased for broilers with 100 ml/L BLE. In conclusion, including BLE at 100 ml/L in drinking water enhanced weight gain, FCR, and survival rate while reducing oxidative stress, indicating a promising natural alternative for improving broiler health and performance.

This study investigated the effect of dietary Ethiopian pepper (Xylopia aethiopica) and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) supplementation on the growth performance, serum parameters, and haematological indices of broiler chickens. A total of 360 unsexed Ross broilers were used for the study. Four experimental diets were formulated for the starter (0-28 days) and finisher phases (29-56 days). Diet 1 was the control, without phytogenic supplementation, Diet 2 was supplemented with 1% Ethiopian pepper (EP), Diet 3 was supplemented with 1% clove (CL), and Diet 4 was supplemented with 1% mixture of Ethiopian pepper and clove (EPCL) in equal quantities (0.5% each) (EPCL). Each treatment was replicated 6 times, with 15 birds per replicate. Growth response was measured weekly for the starter and finisher phases, and blood was collected for serum and haematological parameters after 4 and 8 weeks. Data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance using SAS 2000, and significant means were separated using Tukey's test in same software. At day 28, dietary supplementation with EPCL increased (P < 0.05) live weight (LW) (660.34 g) and weight gain (WG) (599.66 g) and improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (0.98). Total protein (TP) (48.00 g/L) and albumin (28.30 g/L) were higher (P<0.05) for broilers fed a diet supplemented with EPCL compared to the other treatments. Packed cell volume (PCV) (30.00%) was higher (P < 0.05) in broilers fed a diet with EPCL. Supplementation with CL and EPCL increased (P < 0.05) the red blood cell (RBC) count in broilers. Broilers fed a diet supplemented with EP had lower (P < 0.05) mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (97.77 fl), while those fed the control diet had higher (P < 0.05) mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) (39.45 pg). Broilers fed the control diet had the highest (P < 0.05) mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (37.90%), while those fed diets supplemented with CL (33.29%) and EPCL (34.00%) had the lowest (P < 0.05) MCHC. At day 56, LW and WG were also increased (P < 0.05) by supplementation. Reduced (P < 0.05) cholesterol was observed for broilers fed a diet supplemented with EPCL. Haemoglobin (Hb) and RBC were higher (P < 0.05) in broilers fed a diet supplemented with EPCL. Supplementation with EP, CL and EPCL resulted in higher (P < 0.05) MCV and MCH. It was concluded that EPCL can be used to supplement the diet of broilers for increased performance and improved blood parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]