Effects of in ovo injection of aqueous extracts of phytobiotics on growth performance, blood profile and sex ratio of egg-type chickens

This study investigated the effects of in ovo injection of aqueous extracts of phytobiotics (oyster mushroom, garlic, and ginger) and their combinations on growth performance, blood profile, and sex ratio of egg-type chickens. A total of 500 hatching eggs of egg-type chickens were examined. On the 14^th day of incubation, 432 (86.40%) eggs of the egg-type chickens were fertile. The egg-type chicken eggs were divided into eight in ovo injection (0.1 ml/egg) groups of phytobiotics: T1 (control); T2 (oyster mushroom)); T3 (ginger); T4 (garlic); T5 (ginger + oyster mushroom); T6 (garlic + oyster mushroom); T7 (garlic + ginger); and T8 (garlic + ginger + oyster mushroom). Upon hatching, 284 (65.74% hatchability) hatched chicks were obtained. Data were subjected to One-Way Analysis of Variance in a completely randomized design. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by in ovo injection of aqueous extracts of the phytobiotics in pullets at 126 days of age. In the combinations of the phytobiotic extracts, there was a significant (p<0.05) increase in the percentage of male (77.77%) to female (22.23%) chicks. Pullets from eggs that underwent in ovo injection of a combination of phytobiotics had the best (p<0.05) feed conversion ratio (8.66). Packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell, and eosinophil counts were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the in ovo injection of aqueous extracts of phytobiotics and their combinations, with the highest values (76.10 and 76.20 g/dl) being from birds from eggs that received in ovo injection of a combination of phytobiotics. The study concluded that in ovo injection of phytobiotics at 0.1 ml/egg could be adopted to improve growth performance and manipulate the sex ratio without any deleterious effects on the blood profile of egg-type chickens.