Livestock Research
Livestock Research | Online ISSN 3068-4625
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Volume 4 Number 1 2026
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Effects of Fresh Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Economic Returns of Broiler Chickens
Md. Shihab Ahmed Pranto1, Nazmul Huda2, Faisal Kabir1, Md. Abdur Rashid1*
Livestock Research 4 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/livestock.4110870
Submitted: 31 May 2026 Revised: 06 August 2026 Accepted: 10 August 2026 Published: 12 August 2026
Abstract
The overuse of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry production has intensified concerns about antimicrobial resistance, driving demand for safe, economically viable alternatives. This study evaluated dose-response effects of fresh lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus DC. Stapf) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economic returns of broiler chickens. One hundred twenty-day-old Ross-308 chicks were allocated in a completely randomized design to three dietary treatments: T1 (0.5% lemongrass), T2 (1.0% lemongrass), and T3 (1.5% lemongrass), with four replicates of 10 birds each, over 28 days. Body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and performance index were recorded weekly and compared by one-way ANOVA with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. Growth followed a non-linear, dose-dependent pattern: T2 achieved significantly higher body weight than T3 from week 2 onward and the greatest overall weight gain (1,461.0 ± 0.6 g/bird), followed by T1 (1,435.3 ± 1.2 g/bird) and T3 (1,401.8 ± 1.6 g/bird) (p < 0.01). Cumulative feed intake was highest in T2 and lowest in T3 (p < 0.01), while FCR and all carcass parameters did not differ significantly among treatments. Net profit per bird was significantly highest in T1 (27.0 ± 1.7 BDT) (p < 0.01). These findings indicate that 1.0% fresh lemongrass optimizes growth performance, 0.5% maximizes economic return, and 1.5% depresses feed intake and growth, reflecting a dose-ceiling effect. Fresh lemongrass at 0.5–1.0% dietary inclusion is proposed as a feasible, low-cost phytogenic alternative to AGPs for sustainable broiler production in tropical regions.
Keywords: Broiler; carcass characteristics; lemongrass; growth performance; phytogenic feed additive
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