• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.387-399
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• 2010

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of oriental herb extracts (Alpha $Plus^{(R)}$ (AP)+Dried Foxglove Powder (DFP)) on growth performance and proliferation of splenocytes in broiler chicken raised under low or high density stocking conditions. A total of 240 male broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatment groups with three replicates composed of ten birds in low density stocking groups and thirty birds in high density stocking groups. The four treatment groups were as follows: Cl (low density without AP and DFP); T1 (low density with AP 0.2% and DFP 0.03%); C2 (high density without AP and DFP); T2 (high density with AP 0.2% and DFP 0.03%). The feed intake of the high density stocking group was significantly lower than that of low density stocking groups during overall experimental period (p<0.05). The body weight of high density stocking groups was lower than that of low density stocking groups (p<0.05). The decrease of feed intake and body weight gain in growing stage (7~25day) under the high density stocking condition seems to be recovered in final stage (26~34day). Meanwhile dietary supplementation of AP+DFP in low and high density stocking groups tended to have higher daily body weight gain than control groups. The proliferation of splenocytes in treatment groups was significantly higher than control groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, the result of the present study suggested that the oriental herb extracts (AP+DFP) could be used as an alternative feed additive resources to improve growth performance and immune activity in broiler chickens.