Effect of Chinese herbal additive on growth performance and tissue melanin content in Taihe silky fowls

The effects of three different Chinese herbal additives on growth performance and content of melanin in tissues of Taihe silky fowls were evaluated to determine the feasibility of improving medicinal values of the fowls. Birds were fed basal diet (control group), basal diet supplemented with 1% Chinese herbal additive Ⅰ with Sesamum indicum L. as main ingredient (treatment group Ⅰ), 1% Chinese herbal additive Ⅱ with Polygonum multiflorum Thunb as main ingredient (treatment group Ⅱ) and 1% Chinese herbal additive Ⅲ with Crinis carbonisatus as main ingredient (treatment groupⅢ), respectively. Results show no significant differences in average daily gain, daily feed intake, and feed to gain ratio (P>0.05) of Taihe silky fowls aged 0~12 weeks among the 4 treatment groups. With the exception of groupⅢ, mortality rate in Chinese herbal additive groups generally tends to decline in comparison with the control group, and diarrhea frequency in all Chinese herbal additive treatment groups is lower than that in the control. The Chinese herbal additive treatment groups have higher melanin content in pectoral muscle, leg muscle and skin than the control as the Taihe silky fowl is 4 weeks old. At 8 and 12 weeks old, content of melanin in Chinese herbal additive treatment groups is generally higher than in the control. However, skin melanin content is slightly lower in treatment group Ⅱ than in the control at 8 weeks old, and at 12 weeks old treatment groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ have lower melanin content in leg muscle than control group does. Three different Chinese herbal additive supplements at 1% total diet do not affect growth performance in general, but increase (by different degrees) tissue melanin content of Taihe silky fowls.