A member of the parsley family, coriander has been used for the prevention and treatment of many human maladies across the world – including diabetes – but is more commonly used as a flavouring agent or spice.
It has also now been confirmed that, for poultry, coriander seed could serve as a natural growth promoter in the place of antibiotics. A study reported on in the SA Journal of Animal Science showed that the supplementation of 2% coriander seed in Japanese quail diets significantly improved body weight, feed conversion ratio and carcass yield over a growing period of six weeks.
This is apparently due to this aromatic plant’s appetising effect on the diet, its stimulation of digestive processes and its anti-microbial actions. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Firat, Turkey, involved 594 three-day-old chicks divided into six groups receiving different diets, some of which contained the antibiotic avilamycin. – Roelof Bezuidenhout
