Effect of Ginger Powder Supplementation on the Performance of Broiler Chickens in Taraba State

This study examines the effect of dietary ginger powder (Zingiber officinale) supplementation on growth performance, gut microbiota, and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. Ginger contains bioactive compounds including gingerols and shogaols with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and appetite-stimulating properties that suggest potential as a natural growth promoter in antibiotic-free poultry production. This study uses a completely randomised design with four dietary treatment groups: basal diet with no additive control, ginger powder at 1, 2, and 3 grams per kilogram of feed, each fed to 180 Ross 308 day-old broiler chicks in groups of 45 birds per treatment. Body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, gut morphology, caecal microbial population counts, dressing percentage, and breast meat yield are measured over 42 days. Findings reveal that 2 grams per kilogram ginger powder supplementation produces the highest body weight gain of 2.12 kilograms per bird at 42 days, a 7 percent improvement over control, alongside the best feed conversion ratio of 1.82. Intestinal villus height is significantly taller in ginger-supplemented birds, indicating enhanced absorptive surface. Caecal Lactobacillus counts are higher and Clostridium counts lower in supplemented birds. The 3 gram per kilogram treatment shows no additional benefit over 2 grams. The study concludes that 2 grams per kilogram ginger powder supplementation enhances broiler performance and gut health in Taraba State conditions. It recommends ginger as a practical antibiotic growth promoter alternative for broiler producers in the region.

Keywords: ginger powder, broiler chickens, growth promoter, gut microbiota, Taraba State.