Effects of supplemented diets with garlic organic extract and streptomycin sulphate on intestinal microflora and nutrients digestibility in broilers.

This experiment was carried out to study the effects of garlic organic extract and streptomycin sulphate on intestinal microflora and nutrients digestibility in broilers. Forty eight Hubbard line one day-old chicks with equal numbers of males and females were randomly allocated to eight treatment combinations to conduct a 4 x 2 factorial experiment in a completely randomised design. The diets were supplemented with: no supplement (control), garlic organic extract at 40 ppm/kg (GOE 40 ppm), garlic organic extract at 60 ppm/kg (GOE 60 ppm) and streptomycin sulphate at 30 ppm/kg (SS 30 ppm) administered by oral gavage from day 13 to day 47 of experiment. There were two birds (males or females) per experimental unit, replicated three times in twenty four deep litter pens. The colony forming units of Escherichia coli were significantly reduced (P 0.05) in nutrients absorption between male and female broilers. Treatment and sex interaction significantly (P<0.05) affected all the parameters studied indicating a synergistic effect of the two factors on nutrients absorption. It could be concluded that GOE even at 40 ppm/kg controlled pathogens and improved nutrients digestibility in birds.