Growth promotive effects of neem and stinging nettle in indigenous chickens in Kenya

The study was designed to investigate the role of aqueous suspensions of Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) powders fed in drinking water on the growth performance of indigenous chicken. Twelve indigenous chicks were randomly allocated into three groups 1, 2 and 3, each consisting four chicks. All the birds were raised in deep litter for 14 days before transfer into individual cages. Group 1 and 2 were treated with aqueous suspensions of Neem and Stinging Nettle powders respectively in drinking water while Group 3 served as control and was given pure water ad lib. The Neem and Stinging Nettle powders were reconstituted at a rate of 10g/litre of water, boiled, filtered and fed in their crude forms. The experiment lasted 8 weeks. Weekly weights were measured and used as the response parameters for growth. Differences in mean weights between groups were compared using student’s t-test and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Higher numerical weight gains were found in the Neem group (510.75g at 64g/week) compared to the Stinging Nettle group (483.25 at 60g/week). There was however no significant difference (P>0.05) between the mean weekly weights of the Neem and Stinging Nettle groups. The present findings suggest that Neem supplementation in routine diets of indigenous chicken offer better prospects of enhancing the productivity of indigenous chicken in Kenya.