Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences

The present study was conducted to evaluate growth promoting effect of anise seed Pimpinella anisum L. in broiler chickens in terms of live body weight, carcass characteristics (traits), organ weights, production traits and mortality percentage. For this purpose, four levels with 0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9% of aniseed powder were administered in feed from day 0 till the end of experiment (42 days of age). Positive results were obtained specially in body weight and carcass traits like dressing percentage, when aniseed was fed by broiler chicken. This study showed a significant at P<0.05 effect of different treatments on live body weight and dressing percentage, but there was no significant at P<0.05 effects of different treatments on mortality percentage. Also, there was a significant at P<0.05 effect of different treatments on Carcass cuts: breast, thigh and back percentage, but there was no significant at P<0.05 effects of different treatments on wings, heart, liver and gall bladder percentage. According to the results obtained of this study, it can be concluded from this study that additive dietary broiler chicken with anise seed improve production traits like live body weight, body weight gain, dressing percentage, FCR and production index. However, there were not significant effect on mortality and some internal body organ percentage.

To investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of Ground Flaxseed (GF) on performance and carcass characteristics of Karadi male lambs. Flaxseed was used in feeding period that lasted for 90 days using twelve ram Karadi lambs, at 6 months old, which divided into 3 equal groups (4 rams/group). The lambs were randomly allocated into three treatments to receive either control ration (no Ground flaxseed), or ration containing 4% Ground Flaxseed (T1), or diet containing 8% Ground Flaxseed (T2). All the lambs were received an equal daily allowance of concentrate ration (3% of the body weight). At the end of feeding trial (8 weeks), all the lambs were slaughtered. They were weighed immediately before slaughter to provide slaughter body weight (SBW). Immediately after skinning, evisceration was carried out and the carcass components were weighted. Then several quantity characteristics for carcasses were studied, which include: hot carcass weight (HCW), dressing percentage, thickness of subcutaneous fat, rib eye area, partition and cutting of Carcass. Data were analyzed using XL Stat. The results showed that GF has no significant effect on live body weight, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage %, it also has no significant differences on some carcass cuts for example: leg, shoulder, loin, rack, fore shank and neck. On the other hand, GF supplementation caused a significant (P<0.01) decrease in Sub-fat thickness which was 3.695 ± 0.629 and 2.375 ± 0.191in T1 and T2 respectively in comparison to control group 5.015 ± 0.049 mm. Rib eye area increased significantly (P<0.05) in T1 and T2 treatments (12.035±0.205 and 14.145 ± 0.955 respectively) compared to control (10.005 ±1.039 cm²). Some of the carcass cuts, Breast and Flank, decreased significantly (P<0.05) in T2 compared to T1 and Control. In conclusion, GF supplementation significantly decrease breast and flank cuts, while rib eye area significantly increased. However, the decrease in fat thickness may be reflecting the decrease in fat percentages in the carcass that indicates the effect of GF in improvement of carcass traits.