Abstract
The study was conducted to assess the effects of Effective Microorganisms (EM) as an additive to drinking water on growth performance of broiler chicken under local conditions. Hundred and ninety eight, day-old chicks were randomly allocated into two treatments, in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with three replicates of 33 birds per each. One group was fed with EM in 10 mL EM/L concentration level with drinking water and other group was considered as the control. Body weights of birds were measured at day 1, 10, 26 and 42 and feed intakes were measured weekly. Weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for the starter, finisher and total study period separately. At the age of 42 days, ten birds were randomly selected from each pen and scarified. Observed data were analyzed using the T-test procedure in ‘SAS’. Growth performance and FCR in starter period were significantly different (p<0.05) between EM treated and control group. The groups treated with EM showed significantly higher body weight, feed intake and FCR compared to control group during starter period (p<0.05). However, in the finisher period, EM did not significantly affect growth or FCR of birds (p>0.05). Total feed intake was significantly higher in EM treated birds than control group (p<0.05). There were no significant difference observed in FCR, carcass yield and dressing percentage between 10 mL EM/L EM treated birds and control (p>0.05). In conclusion, EM positively affected the initial growth phase of broilers under local conditions though there is no significant influence on their latter part of growth.