Study On Effects Of Herb Compound Additive On Promoting Growth Performance And Immune Function In Local-breeding Chickens

360 local-breeding chickens of 28-day-age, provided by Kunming Huaxi Animal Company LTD, are divided into 8 groups at random, with 45 chickens in each group. Of them, groups I ,II and III are fed with 0.5%, 1% and 2% Chinese herb Compound A additive to replace antibiotics in feeding stuff respectively; groups IV, V and VI are fed with Chinese herb Compound B Additive with the same concentration as above (both Chinese herb Compound A Additive and Chinese herb Compound B Additive completely replace the antibiotics in feedstuff); group VB was fed with the compound feed produced by Kunming Huaxi Animal Company LTD; group VIII was served as the blank control group. All the groups are raised for 42 days under the same condition. This field test is intended to study the effect of Chinese herb Compound Additives (based on traditional veterinary medicine) on the growth performance and immunity potency of local-breeding chickens, which will demonstrate the potential for Chinese herb Compound Additives partly or completely replacing antibiotics as growth promotants and immunostimunants. The result indicates the followings:1.Chinese herb Compound A Additive can markedly increase growth performance and feedstuff utilization ratio in local-breeding chickens. Gain of body weight per chicken, daily gain of body weight, and feedstuff utilization ratio reached to the utmost when 1% content was supplied, in which, Gain of body weight per chicken and daily gain of body weight increased by 31.13% and 30.79% respectively, and feed-weight ratio decreased by 13.35%, compared with the blank control group. There was a statistical differential significance between test group and control group (P<0.05).2.Chinese herb Compound A Additive at 1% content can markedly increase T lymphocyte transformation rate (up to 87% when at 70-day age), higher than blank control group by 24.29%, and than antibiotic group by 8.30%. There was a statistical differential significance between test group and blank control group, and between test group and antibiotic group (P<0.05).3.Chinese herb Compound A Additive at 1% or 2% amount can markedly increase erythrocyte C_3b ring forming rate (up to 17.33%), higher than blank control group by 67.76%, and than antibiotic group by 40.55%. There was a statistical differential significance between the test group and blank control group, and between the test group and the antibiotic group (P<0.05).4.Chinese herb Compound A Additive at 1% or 2% amount can markedly increase E-rosettes forming rate of T lymphocyte (up to 17.67%), higher than blank control group by 76.70%, and than antibiotic group by 47.25%. Total E-rosettes forming rate (21.33%) higher than blank control group by 88.26%, and than antibiotic group by 45.40%.5.Chinese herb Compound A Additive at 1% amount can markedly increase titer of antibodies against Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) and Avian Influenza Virus (AIV), and elongated the period of antibody peak. For titer of antibody against NDV, there was no difference between each test group and control group at 28-day-age, however, group II was higher than blank control group by 1.331og2 at 42-day-age, higher than antibiotic group by 1.561og2 and blank control group by 2.781og2 (P<0.05) at 56-day-age, and higher than blank control by 2.33log₂ (P<0.05) and antibiotic group by 1.78log₂ (P<0.05) at 70-day-age. For titer of antibody against AIV, there was no significant difference between each test group and control group at 28-day-age, but group II was higher than blank control group by 2.001og2 and antibiotic group by 1.341og2 at 42-day-age, higher than antibiotic group by 2.221og2 and blank control group by 3.001og2 at 56-day-age, and higher than blank control by 2.891og2and antibiotic group by 2.11log₂ at 70-day-age (P<0.05).6.Chinese herb Compound A Additive amount at 1% can markedly increase C₃ concentration, and there appeared a trend of increase with age. C₃ concentration appears at a higher level after 56-day-age, of all test groups, there was no statistical differential significance between each of 3 groups with different amount of Chinese herb Compound A Additive and antibiotic group, and C₃ of 3 groups with different amount of Chinese herb Compound B Additive was lower than antibiotic group; At 70-day-age, it came close to the blank control group. It demonstrates that the Chinese herb Compound Additives had the effect increasing C₃ concentration in serum. Moreover, Chinese herb Compound A Additive amount at 1% can markedly increase C₄ concentration, and it was always higher than that of both antibiotic group and blank control group during different periods of age, meanwhile, there was no statistical differential significance between antibiotic group and blank control group.Chinese herb Compound Additives amount at 1% and 2% can markedly increase concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG), while there was no difference between antibiotic group and blank control group during different period. This showed the advantages of Chinese herb Compound Additives enhancing innate immunity potency.7.The index of the primary immune organs such as thymus, spleen, bursae was higher than blank control group and antibiotic group by 130%; spleen index blank control group by 136% and antibiotic group.8.Chinese herb Compound Additives group I, II ,III,VI were higher than blank test group and antibiotic grouping the quantity of leukocyte .It demonstrated that Chinese herb additives can increase the amount of leukocyte of GuangXi local chicken, markedly higher than antibiotic and blank control group at different day age. Chinese herb compound additive can remarkably increase the amount of eryyhrocyte of local chickens, and remarkably higher than the amount of that of antibiotic and blank control group at different day age. It can also remarkably increase the lymph cell amount of Guangxi local chickens and also higher than that of antibiotic and blank control group.In brief, this study result showed that the Chinese herb Compound Additives had good effects to promote growth and improve immunity potency of local-breeding chickens, and that the effect reaches to its utmost when 1% amount of the additive was used in the extracted and processed form.