The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the addition of different levels of propolis ethanolic extract (EEP) or conventional growth promoters in the broiler chickens diets. Broiler chickens males (924), Ross, from 1 to 42 days of age were evaluated. The broilers were randomly divided in six treatments of seven replicates each. All birds were provided ad libitum access to feed and water. A uniform basal diet was mixed and aliquots were used to prepare the test diets. The birds were fed a corn-soybean meal diet with identical nutrient levels that contained different growth promoters (T1 - negative control, without promoter; T2 - 0.1% of EPP; T3 - 0.2% EEP; T4 - 0.3% EEP; T5 - 0.3% Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate (BMD) and T6 - diet containing 0.005% Olaquindox and Clorotetraciclin). Feed consumption was affected significantly (P<0.05) in the growth phase, where birds submitted to T6 diet had lowest feed consumption. At 35 and 42 days, birds that received the diet without growth promoter or containing 0.1% EEP, obtained higher body weights (P <0.05) than those that received the diet with Olaquindox and Clorotetraciclin, but similar to the other treatments. It was observed that in diets without promoter and containing 0.1% EEP, the earnings medium diary was superior to the one that it contained Olaquindox and Clorotetraciclin (P<0.05). The feed conversion and mortality were not affected by treatments (P>0.05). With relationship to the carcass characteristics, the yield and breast weight were only affected, where the diet containing Olaquindox and Clorotetraciclin was inferior to the diets without promoter, containing 0.1% EEP or BMD. According to the performance results, it can be concluded that the broilers fed with 0.3% propolis etanolic extract had similar performance with negative control.
propolis; growth promoters; performance
