Abstract:
The study was conducted on the Livestock farm of the National University of Lesotho, Roma,
Maseru District, Lesotho to determine the effect of the composite leaf of Aloe barbadensis,
Aloe arborescens and Aloe ferox as natural feed supplements on broiler chicken production.
180-day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly separated into four groups with a mean
body weight of 43.00 g. One group each was randomly assigned to one of four experimental
dietary treatments, with three replicates of 15 birds each/treatment. Treatment C was the control
where the chicks received 0 mg/L composite leaf powder of aloe species supplement, while
treatments T1, T2 and T3 received Aloe barbadensis, Aloe arborescens and Aloe ferox
composite leaf powder, respectively mixed with drinking water at the rate of 500 mg/L. These
aloe species supplements were administered twice per week on the first day and midweek
during a 49-day trial. The three aloe species were analyzed for their nutrient composition, and
growth performance, carcass yield, and economics of production data collected were subjected
to the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to test for statistical significance at 5% level
of probability. Aloe barbadensis, Aloe arborescens and Aloe ferox supplements had no
significant (p>0.05) effect on the final live body weight, feed intake, body weight gain, feed
conversion ratio, mortality rate and the economics of production/benefit cost at the starter,
grower and finisher phases. At the finisher phase the A. barbadensis, A. arborescens and A.
ferox had no significant (p>0.05) effect on dressed weight, dressing percentage, % DW of back
and neck, thigh, drumstick and wing, but had significant (p<0.05) effect on breast. Also, A.
barbadensis, A. arborescens and A. ferox had no significant effect (p>0.05) on all visceral
organs except the % fasted live weight of liver, which varied significantly (p<0.05). The use
of the composite leaf power of A. barbadensis, A. arborescens and A. ferox as a dietary
supplement in broiler chicken production at a rate of 500 mg/L did not enhance growth and
benefit cost. Further research is necessary to investigate the best supplementation level for each
of A.barbadensis, A. arborescens and A. ferox in the broiler chickens diet to enhance broiler
chickens performance and economics of production.
