Evaluation of sweet citrus peel supplement in water on performance and ileal microbial count of broiler chickens.

The effect of supplementing drinking water with sweet citrus peel powder (SCPP) on the performance, ileal microbial count, and relative weight of organs of broiler chickens reared in a tropical environment was investigated. Ninety-six (96) 1-day-old Ross broiler chickens, after brooding, were randomly allotted into four treatment groups: T1 (control) received drinking water without SCPP, while birds in T2, T3, and T4 were given water supplemented with 2, 4, and 6 g of SCPP per liter of water, respectively. Each treatment was replicated three times with eight birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. Feed intake and weight gain were not significantly (p > 0.05) different among the treatments. However, significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed in the final weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR) with birds on T4 (6 g SCPP) having the highest final weight of 2164.60 g and the lowest FCR of 2.11 compared with 1838.40 g final weight and 2.40 FCR recorded for birds in the control group. Total bacteria count (TBC) of 2.07 × 106 CFU/ml (T1), 1.20 × 106 CFU/ml (T2), 1.27 × 106 CFU/ml (T3), and 1.33 × 106 CFU/ml (T4) recorded showed no significant (p > 0.05) variations among the treatments. However, orthogonal contrast between control and SCPP treatment groups showed significant variation (p < 0.05) in TBC. Significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed in the live weight and relative weight of heart and pancreas. Higher live weight with lower FCR and TBC recorded in this study showed the positive effect of SCPP on the performance and ileal microbial count of broiler chickens.