Effect of Rationing Time Feed and Adding Natural Grape and Apple Cider Vinegar to Drinking Water on the Productive Performance of Broilers

Abstract

The research aimed to study the effect of rationing the time feed and adding both natural apple cider and grape vinegar to drinking water on the productive performance of broilers. The research was conducted during between15/06/2022 and 26/07/2022 using  /250/ ROSS 308 chicks. Chicks were randomly distributed into five treatments, 50 birds per treatment,  divided equally into two replicates (25 birds/ replicate), as the following: The first treatment (C): (Control) birds were fed free-fed  on a traditional diet, which is a standardized diet for all treatments,  the second treatment (T): birds were fed on the standardized diet, with feed  rationing after the 14^th day, for 6 h/day, the third treatment (T1): 5 ml of natural grape vinegar were added/ L of drinking water with feed rationing, the fourth treatment (T2): 5ml of natural apple cider vinegar were added/ L of drinking water with feed rationing, the fifth treatment (T3): 5 ml of a (1:1) mixture of natural apple and grape vinegar were added/ L of drinking water with feed rationing. Results showed that the time feed rationing process (6 hours/day) in treatment (T) didn’t negatively affect any of the productive indicators, except for a significant improvement (P<0.05)  in feed conversion efficiency. The addition of grape and apple vinegar and their mixture (T1, T2, T3) combined with the time rationing process led to a significant (P<0.05) change in the body weight index by 5.4, 6.3 and 9.6% respectively and the feed conversion efficiency increased by 4.7, 9.7 and 11.3% respectively compared to the control treatment (C). it can be concluded that rationing and adding vinegar each has a positive role in mitigating the effects of heat stress on broilers during summer, and thus improving some of their productive indicators and reducing the economic losses resulting from high temperatures.