ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding purslane extract on
performance and some blood parameters of female broiler chicks. A total of 240 one days old chicks were divided into 3 treatments and were further subdivided into 4 replicates with 20 birds on each in randomized experimental design. The treatments were divided as basal diet with no purslane extract kept as control 20 ppm of purslane extract and 200 gr /ton virginiamycine antibiotic respectively. The body weight gains and feed consumption of chicks were measured individually, feed conversion efficiency were calculated weekly. At the end of experimental period, 4 female birds form each replicates (totally 48 birds) were slaughtered for determination of other parameters. Also dressing percentage was calculated free from giblets and some other organs were weighed separately as percentage of carcass weight. Also for hematological determination (cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) levels) blood sample were taken and were referred to laboratory. To determine of some immune response at 28 and 30 days of age some blood samples were collected and antibody titers against New Castle Vaccine and SRBC were measured. Data from current study showed that use of Purslane extract FI, BW and FCR compared to control. As result showed that abdominal fat was increased (p≤0.05) were chicks fed by Purslane extract. Also the heart percentage was higher than control. Carcass weight was at the lowest on T1 and at the highest on T4. There were no significant differences between treatments about liver, spleen, bursa fabrius and carcass percentage. Purslane extract tended to decrease the blood Triglyceride level of the birds also reducing the cholesterol level only in T1 and T2. Data showed that HDL and LDL tented to increase in experimental groups. Broilers immune response data showed that supplementing broiler chickens with Purslane extract increased HI and SRBC none significantly at 28 and 30 days old chicks respectively. In conclusion we could demonstrate that purslane extract may be used as ingredient in chicks ration up to 20ppm without harming effects on performance of broiler chicks