EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF EQUAL MIXES OF CINNAMON AND OREGANO ESSENTIAL OILS ON THE EARLY GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF PEKIN DUCKS.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Poult. Dept., Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt

Abstract

Our trial aimed to investigate whether different dietary levels of equal mixes of cinnamon and oregano essential oils can affect the early growth performance of Pekin duck during 0-2 weeks of age. A total of 200 healthy one- day-old Pekin ducks were randomly distributed into 4 experimental groups. Each group contained 5 replicates with 10 birds each. The 1st group received the standard diet with no supplementation, while the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th groups received the standard diet supplemented with 50, 100, and 150 mg of equal mix of cinnamon and oregano oil per kg diet, respectively. By the end of the first week, ducks supplemented with 100 mg or 150 mg/kg of the oil mixture exhibited significantly higher live body weight (LBW) and body weight gain (BWG) compared to the control group, while the 50 mg group showed intermediate values. This trend became more pronounced in the second week, where birds receiving 100 and 150 mg/kg had significantly greater LBW than the control. Across all measured intervals (week 0–1, week 1–2, and week 0–2) no significant differences were observed in feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) among the control group and the groups receiving 50 mg, 100 mg, or 150 mg of the essential oil mix per kg of diet. However, FI and FCR were numerically improved by dietary treatments with essential oils, compared to the control. These findings indicate that the inclusion of essential oil mixtures at 100–150 mg/kg in duck diets may enhance growth performance without adversely affecting feed utilization.

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Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research
Volume 52, Issue 4
July and August 2025
Pages 885-896

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