Effect of different levels of Aloe Vera gel and neomycin on performance, some carcass characteristics, and physical and chemical meat quality of broiler chicks

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of Aloe vera gel and an antibiotic (neomycin) on performance, some carcass characteristics, and physical and chemical quality of meat in broiler chicks. One hundred and eighty one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used in this experiment. The experiment was performed during 6 weeks based a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 3 replicates for each treatment and 12 chicks per replicate. Treatments were the different dietary levels of Aloe vera gel (0.0, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 percent) and neomycin (0.2 g/kg).The results of the experiment showed that the chickens fed the 2% Aloe vera gel had the lower feed consumption as compared to the chickens of other treatments during the whole experimental period (P<0.05). The breast dry matter content was higher in the chickens fed 2% Aloe vera gel than the chickens of control treatment (P<0.05). moreover, the breast meat protein of chickens fed the different levels of Aloe vera gel (1.5, 2 and 2.5 %) and neomycin (0.2 g/kg diet) was higher than that of birds in control treatments (P<0.05). The addition of 2.5% Aloe vera gel significantly increased the dry matter and fat contents of thigh meat as compared to neomycin and control diet (P<0.05). The thigh meat protein of chickens fed the 1.5 and 2% gel was significantly greater than that of control and neomycin fed birds (P<0.05). Furthermore, thigh meat hardness, gumminess and chewiness of chickens fed the 1.5, 2 and 2.5 Aloe vera gel were higher than those of control diet and neomycin fed birds (P<0.05). The compression test on breast meat showed that feeding 2.5% Aloe vera gel increased the meat hardness as compared to control treatment (P<0.05). It was concluded that dietary addition of Aloe vera gel does not affect the physical characteristics of thigh and breast meats, but improves the performance and chemical (dry matter, fat and protein) characteristics of breast and thigh.