Effect of Dietary Bee Honey and Bee Pollen as Alternative of Antibiotic on Growth Performance, Tibia Characteristics and Some Blood Plasma Parameters of Broilers

Abstract

n experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects feeding broiler chicks on corn soybean meal diets supplemented with bee honey (BH), bee pollen (BP) or both as alternative to antibiotics erythromycin (ER) on growth performance, tibia characteristics and some blood plasma parameters. A total of number 150 one-day old chicks of (Cobb) strain were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments (5 treatments x 3 replicate groups x 10 chicks in each group). The treatments were: control without supplementation; T1 (ER) 0.0275%; T2 (BH) 0.10%; T3, (BP) 0.05% and T4 (BH, 0.10% + BP 0.05). The main results showed significant effect on body weight, body weight gain and performance index. On contrary there were no significant effect on feed consumption and feed conversion ratio within treatments. The results showed no significant effect on tibia measurements tibia weight (wet and dry), tibia (width and length) and tibia seeder index while there was significant effect on tibia breaking strength, As most of measured parameters there were no significant effect on tibia chemical composition (ASH and P) except (Ca) between treatments.