Performance Characteristics of Broiler Chickens Fed Diet Supplemented with Prosopis Africana Oil

As the poultry industry shifts away from the widespread use of antibiotics for growth promotion there is need to adopt other techniques to provide a safe supply of animal protein (meat and eggs) for consumers while maintaining high standards of animal health and welfare. Essential oils is significantly gaining global interest because they are safe eco-friendly and has no withdrawal period due to the presence of bioactive compounds (phytochemicals)). They volatile compounds that can be extracted from different parts of plants (seeds leaves flowers bud and stem bark) and its composition can be influenced by age of plants species extraction method and geographical location. Among the potential essential oils with numerous phyto-constituents and medicinal properties are those from Prosopis africana.