Effects of Onion (Allium cepa L.) Extract on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Muscovy duck

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of various levels of onion extract on
growth performance and carcass characteristics of Muscovy ducks. Six ducklings were
randomly distributed into each replicate pen (total of 12 pens). Four replicate pens for
each treatment were randomly selected. Control birds were provided commercial diet.
Other two dietary treatments were supplemented with onion extract at the level of 1%
and 2%. Body weight, feed intake, body weight gain, and gain:feed of ducklings
between control and treatment groups are not differ (p>0.05). The present results
showed that onion extract did not affect (p>0.05) overall growth performance of
Muscovy ducks during week 4 to week 8 of ages. Percentage of External offals (based
on carcass weight) and both carcass weight and carcass yields in this study did not
affected (p>0.05) by onion extracts. Abdominal fat of bird receive 2% of onion extract
lowest (p<0.05) value compared with control and treatment received 1% of onion
extract among the parameters of internal offals. In contrast, the volume of blood of
birds received 1% of onion extract shown highest volume (p<0.05). Cooking loss of
breast meat between the group of control and onion extract 1% shown not differ
(p>0.05). Muscovy ducks received dietary onion extract of 2% shown lowest value of
cooking loss (p<0.05). The blood volume and immune organs in this study are shown
significant different (p<0.05). In overall, duck received dietary onion extract of 1%
shown lowest values of thymus and bursa of fabricius (p<0.05), and also highest
volume of blood (p<0.05). The results in this study shown that, different level of
dietary onion extracts are influenced on growth performance, carcass characteristics
and immune organs of Muscovy ducks from week 4 to week 11 of ages. In conclusion,
the present study shown that dietary onion extract of 1% indicated slightly outcome in
terms of internal offals improvement and immune organs development. In contrast, this
study indicated that dietary onion extract of 2% shown best value of breast meat quality
in term of cooking loss. Further research is needed to describe the effects of dietary
onion extract on the metabolism and tissue distribution of cholesterol and
triacylglycerol in meat-type ducks