No Damage of Dietary Dried Fermented Ginger Diet without Antibiotics on Growth Performance in Broilers Reared in Tropical Area

Problem statement: The experiment was carried out to determine whether the dietary Dried Fermented Ginger (DFG) has no affecting damage on broiler growth performance and can also be applicable in tropical and subtropical area using basal diets without antibiotics. Approach: Three hundred and fifty 7-d-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were divided into one basal diet group (control) and 6 experimental groups. The basal diets were adequately formulated, but not added with antibiotics. Among the 6 DFG groups, 3 groups were fed each basal diet supplemented with DFG at 0.25 (0.25 S), 0.5 (0.5 S) and 1% (1 S) levels from 7-42 days of age (starter groups). The remaining 3 DFG groups were fed the starter basal diet until 21 days of age. At 22 days of age, they were switched to finisher diet supplemented with DFG at 0.25 (0.25 F), 0.5 (0.5 F) and 1% (1 F), from 22-42 days of age (finisher groups). Results: Feed intake, body weight gain and feed efficiency were not significantly different among the groups (p>0.05). However, when the body weight gain of the control was expressed as an index of 100, the body weight gain index of the DFG groups was better than the control except the 0.25 S groups. Compared to the body weight gain index of the starter groups, they showed the better index. The values of feed efficiency were also better in all the experimental groups than in the control. Conclusion: The present results suggest that DFG can apply to tropical and subtropical area as a natural supplementation without antibiotics and it is better to supplement to basal diet during finisher stage (from 22 days old).