Effect of silybum marianum seed on performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters of broiler chickens

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of silybum marianum seed on performance and carcass characteristics and blood parameters of broiler chickens. Research was performed in a completely randomize design with 5 treatments, 4 replicate and 12 broilers in each replicate for 42 days. The treatments consist of the control diet, and 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% of silybum marianum seed. To evaluate the different part of carcass and blood parameters, at the end of experiment two bird of each replicate were bleed and then slaughtered. The results of exprement showed that the highest feed intake in the starter and finisher period respectively observed in the 1(357.71) and 1.5 (1701.9) % of silybum marianum seed, and the lowest was in the control diet (312.08) and 0.5 (1426.6) % of silybum marianum seed. The highest weight gain was in the 1.5 % of silybum marianum seed (801.27) and the lowest was in the control diet 687.40). The highest relative weight of gizzard and intestine were in the 0.5 and 2 % of silybum marianum seed (3.18 and 7.65 respectively) (P<0.05) but had no effect on the other carcass characteristics (P>0.05). The lowest cholesterol (91), triglyceride (62.75) and VLDL (12.55) and the highest level of HDL (44.50) observed in the 1.5 % of silybum marianum seed. So use of the 1.5 % of silybum marianum seed had positive effects on performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters of broiler chickens.