Growth, antibacterial properties and haematological parameters of broiler chickens fed moringa and neem leaf meals as additives

The effectiveness and accessibility of broiler feed additives and antibiotics could be challenging to farmers. There is therefore the need to research into the effectiveness of the use of substitute feed additives. Moringa (Moringa oleifera) and neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves are edible plants to both humans and animals that can be included as feed additives. This work was conducted to determine the effect of different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MLM) and neem leaf meal (NLM) as substitute feed additives/antibiotics and their effects on the performance of broilers. Two hundred and ten (210) day-old Abor Acres broiler chicks were randomly allotted to seven dietary treatments of three replicates each. The  parameters investigated were feed intake, final weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, meat quality, sensory evaluation, mortality and bacterial counts. The final weight for broilers fed with MLM and NLM diets were higher than those fed with conventional feed. The bacteria load and mortality recorded for the conventional feed groups were significantly higher (p<0.05) than groups fed moringa and neem. There was no significant  difference (p>0.05) in the haematology and serum parameters recorded for all the groups. The organoleptic properties of cooked broiler meat samples for all treatment groups were comparable with those fed with conventional feed. Inclusion of MLM and NLM produced similar results compared to the conventional feed ingredients and may be considered as possible sources of alternative feed additives and promising natural antimicrobial agents for controlling pathogenic bacteria in poultry production. Key words: Broilers, Neem leaf meal, Moringa leaf meal, Productio