Research On Animal Production

  The effects of different levels of alcoholic chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) extract were investigated on performance, cellular and humoral immunity in 200 one-day chicks (Ross 308) in a completely randomized design with 5 treat ments and 4 replicates and 10 chicks per replicate. The treatment groups received 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 ml/Lit of alcoholic chicory extract, (provided from Chicory roots), in drinking water respectively, during days 3 to 42 . Daily feed intake, daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were measured. The birds were immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) on days 8 and 22 of age and serum antibody levels produced in response to SRBC were measured on days 21, 28, 35 and 42 . Skin response to phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) injected intradermally on day 16 were measured 24 h after injection. The results indicated that consumption of 2 ml Chicory extract increased feed intake and daily weight gain (P<0.05). Doses of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 ml Chicory extract increased the breast weight and 0.5 ml increased thymus weight percentage (P<0.05). Adding 2 ml chicory extract increased total Anti-SRBC, IgG and IgM titer in the experimental groups compared to control group (P<0.05). Consumption of 0.5 and 2 ml Chicory extract increased cellular immunity on PHA-P injection (P<0.05). It is concluded that use of 2 ml chicory extract in drinking water increases performance, cellular and humoral immunity in broilers.