Performance of layer birds supplemented with herbal antistress product ayucee and synthetic vitamin C under physiological heat stress.

Heat stress exerts high deteriorating impact on the poultry industry which could be ameliorated by dietary incorporation of synthetic vitamin C. Certain herbs either alone or in combination thereof are also a rich source of ascorbic acid in natural form. Thus, a 12-week experiment was conducted to determine the effects of high temperature and relative humidity on production performance in layer chickens supplemented with herbal antistress product and synthetic vitamin C. A total of 90 layer birds of 55 weeks age were divided in 3 equal groups (T0, T1 and T2) of 30 birds in each. They were exposed to a heat stress of daily temperature 39±8°C, and temperature humidity index (THI) of 81.33±1.20. To curb the losses incurred due to heat stress, birds in group T1 and T2 were treated respectively with synthetic vitamin C @ 100 g/tonne and herbal premix Ayucee containing natural Vitamin C and bioflavonoids @ 100 g/tonne of feed on daily basis for a period of seven weeks. Group T0 was not treated by any supplementation and kept as control. High ambient temperature and relative humidity resulted in high serum cortisol level (mg/L) (3.47±0.20 to 3.64±0.15) in all groups. It was significantly optimized and lowered down in both the treated groups. A significant difference existed between the initial and after treatment values in both the treatment groups while serum cortisol level was on a continuous rise in untreated T0 control group. Treatment with herbal Ayucee premix and synthetic vitamin C successfully optimized the increased ALT and AST levels and total protein, albumin and globulin in treated birds. Better growth and performance in terms of higher body weight, egg production % and egg weight was resulted from dietary incorporation of antistressor product containing vitamin C. Thus considering the cost benefit ratio herbal natural product Ayucee premix can replace synthetic vitamin C.