Utilization of garlic (Allium sativum L.) as growth promoter of broilers

Three experiments were carried out to evaluate garlic in broilers diets as growth promoter. In the first experiment 480 one day old chicks, sexed, were distributed in six treatments with eight replicates (four with males and four with females), with ten birds each. The treatments were: basal diet with corn, soybean meal and dicalcium phosphaate (RB1), RB1 + 0.2% garlic; RB1 + 0.4% garlic; RB1 +0.6% garlic, RB1 +0.01%, lincomicin and RB1 + 0.0025% zinc bacitracin. In the second experiment 240 one day old chicks were distributed in three treatments with eight replicates (four with males and four with females), and ten birds each. The treatments were: basal diet with corn, soybean meal and bone and meat meal (RB2), RB2 + 0.2% garlic and RB2 + 0.4% garlic. In the third experiment 120 females broilers were used, raised up to 42 days of age, distributed in three treatments, as described for the second experiment. In all experiments feed intake, weight gain and feed convertion rate were evaluated. In the first and second experiments small intestine weight was also evaluated. There were no significant effects of tratments on the evaluated charactheristics in the three experiments. The birds presented normal performance, suggesting that the conditions they were raised were not suitable to get response due the utilization of growth promotors.