THE EFFECT OF SEA BUCKTHORN (HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES L.) RESIDUES IN COMPOUND FEEDS ON THE PERFORMANCE AND SKIN COLOR OF BROILERS

The experiment was conducted on 2640 slow-growing (NL-JA-757) broiler chicks divided into three groups with eight replicates of 110 chicks each for period of 49 days. The control group was fed diets without any color additive, while experimental groups A and B were fed diets containing commercial color additive (0.05%) and sea buckthorn fruit residue 5% of feed respectively. Diets BR1 (starter) were fed from day 1 to 21; BR2 (grower) were fed from day 22 to 35, and BR3 (finisher) were fed from day 36 to 49. The chicks were weighed on days 21, 35 and 49. The final mean live weight of the birds (males and females) appeared lower in group B with sea buckthorn in comparison with the control group (1848.1 vs.1875.5g) and group A (1882.5g). Feed conversion at 49 days was poorer in group B (2182.6 g/kg) in comparison with group A (2102.4 g/kg) and non-significantly poorer than the control group (2163.7 g/kg). Skin color was assessed by the DSM Broiler Fan expressed on a 101-110 scale. The skin of the birds was more yellowish in group A (104.4) in comparison with group B (103.0) and the control group (102.5). Neither the health of the birds nor their mortality was affected by the diets.