The present experiment was
conducted to investigate the effect of
supplementing poultry feed with graded
levels of Algerian sodium bentonite
(Na-B) on growth performance and the
development of villus height in jejunum
and some biochemical parameters during
50 days in broiler chickens. A number of
420 one-day old broiler chicks (Arbor
Acres) were obtained from a commercial
hatchery. The birds were randomly allocated
into six groups (A, B, C, D, E and F).
The treatments were 0 (control), 1%, 2%,
3%, 4% and 5% of Algerian Na-B levels.
The results obtained indicate clearly that
weight gain in the chickens fed treatments
containing 4% Na-B had greater weight
gain than the chickens fed different treatments
(0, 1%, 2%, 3% and 5% Na-B).
Feed conversion rate (FCR) was lower
birds supplemented with Na-B 4% (2.45)
than control group (3.06). Maximum feed
consumption was observed in the birds’
control (5,655.3 g), while the lowest was
noted in the chickens with diet added 4%
Na-B (5,009.5 g) (p< 0.05). The weight of
duodenum, jejunum and ileum was
decreased for the Algerian Na-B
supplemented group, compared with the
control group. The villus height was
affected by dietary treatments (1%, 2%,
3% and 5%) on days 18 and 50 (p< 0.05).
Feeding the supplemented graded levels
Na-B resulted in an increase in plasma
cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL
concentrations at 50 days of age,
compared with the control group. These
results showed clearly that the Na-B from
Algeria can improve the growth
performance in broiler chickens. Thus, dietary inclusion of Na-B had positive
effect on plasma triglyceride, cholesterol
and HDL values in broiler chickens at the
end experiment
