Effect of Different Levels of Sumac (Rhuscoriaria L.) Powder on Performance, Development of Gastrointestinal Tract, Immune System and Blood Factors of Broiler Chickens

Using plant growth supplements in the diet of broilers increases the production efficiency. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of different amounts of sumac powder on broiler chicken growth, gastrointestinal development, immune system, and blood factors. 160 one-day-old male Ross 308 chickens were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replications, each with ten chickens.The experimental diets were: 1) control with basal diet (no sumac), 2) basal diet containing the 0.25% sumac 3) basal diet containing the 0.75% of sumac, and 4) basal diet containing 1.5%. The results showed that the increase in body weight and feed conversion ratio during the rearing period in the diet containing 1.5% of sumac powder significantly improved (p <0.05). The weight of Fabricius bursa in all different levels of sumac powder significantly increased compared to the control (p <0.01). There was a significant increase in hematocrit percentage for the treatments containing levels of 0.75 and 1.5% of sumac powder (p <0.05). The amount of 1.5% sumac powder in the diet had a significant improvement on the concentration of albumin, cholesterol, and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) in the serum of broiler chickens (p <0.05). In general, the results showed that using sumac powder in the diet of broilers could have beneficial effects as a growth stimulant.
 
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