effect of feeding different levels of luffa aegyptiaca extracts on the growth performance of broiler chicken fed corn-soya meal diet

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of luffa aegyptiaca extracts (lap) on the growth performance of broiler chicken fed corn-soya meal diet. the study was carried out between january to march, 2019. a total of two hundred days old broiler chicks of mixed sexes (ross 308) were allocated into four treatment groups, each group was further divided into five replicates each of ten (10) birds. the measured growth performance parameters are: initial body weight, final body weight, average weight gain, average feed intake, average water intake and mortality. clean feed and water were provided ad libitum and the experiment lasted for 42 days. treatment 1 contained 1.25 g/litre of oxytetracycline, treatment 2, 3 and 4 contained lap at 10, 20 and 30 ml/litre. there was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the final weight gain (fwg), feed conversion ratio and mortality. birds in treatment 4 had the fwg of 2000.1 g followed by t3 with 1889.3 g, birds fed 1.25 g/ litre of oxy had the lowest fwg of 1622.1 g. average feed and water intake were not significantly (p>0.05) influenced by lap and oxy. it was concluded that lap could be orally administered up to 30 ml/litre to broiler chickens without any negative effect on the growth and health performance of the animal.