author(s)
BC Gohel, DD Garg, SS Patil, HH Savsani, SP Trivedi and SJ Kadam

abstract
A study was carried out to assess the efficacy of Tulsi and Aloe vera leaves powder as a phytogenic growth promoter in the diet of broiler chickens. A total of two hundred, day old broiler chicks of Cobb-400 strain were divided into four treatment groups with 5 replicates of 10 chicks in each and were assigned to four iso-nutritive diets, viz., T₁: Control (Feed without additive), T₂: Tulsi leaves powder addition in feed @ 0.5%, T₃: Aloe vera leaves powder addition in feed @ 0.5% and T₄: Addition of both Tulsi and Aloe vera leaves powder in feed @ 0.5%. The feeding experiment was carried out for 42 days and feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and economics of feeding were evaluated. The results showed that there was no significant effect of the addition of mixture of Tulsi and Aloe vera leaves powder on overall feed intake of experimental birds. The final body weights and body weight gains were significantly higher in birds supplemented with either Tulsi, Aloe vera leaves powder or both as compared to the control. Feed conversion ratio in the T₄ group was significantly (p<0.05) improved as compared to control, whereas, T₃ and T₂ groups showed non-significant difference from control as well as from T₄ group. When profit over control in terms of rupees per bird was calculated, it was found to be 3.57, 2.63 and 0.02 more profit in T₄, T₃ and T₂ respectively. It is concluded that dietary addition of Tulsi and Aloe vera leaves powder in combination at 0.5% improves broilers performance.