Effects of barberry pulp on performance, carcass traits and some blood biochemical parameters in broilers reared under heat stress condition

To evaluate the effects of different of barberry pulp (BP) on production traits, blood parameters and immune system of broilers under heat stress, an experiment with 160 male Ross 308 chicks in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments, 4 replicates and 10 chicks each were done. A basal corn-soybean diet (Control) and three other treatments were diets contained the levels of 2.5, 5 and 7.5 percent barberry pulp treatment was fed. The experimental period was 42 days. The cyclic daily heat stress was done from 28 to 42 days. In this period, daily room temperature was increased from 21oC to 38±2°C during 10:00 until 17:00 hours. The treatments had no significant effects on body weight, feed conversion ratio, feed intake, carcass yield, heart, bursa of fabricius and liver. The relative weight of breasts and bursa of fabricus were increased when birds received 7.5 percent Barberry pulps (BP) compared to control. Serum concentration of cholesterol and HDL and liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and immune system were not affected by the levels of BP treatments. However the BP diets decreased the serum concentration of serum triglycerides and LDL. The blood concentration of glucose were increased by different levels of BP. The levels of 2.5% of BP increased the total protein as compared to control. Therefore, this findings were proposed since Barberry pulps had no any negative effects on production parameters and an improvement in the blood and immune system up to 7.5 %, it could be used in HS broilers.