Abstract
After many health problems appeared with synthetic antibiotics, improvement of broilers performance began to depend widely on Natural feed additives. Influence of hot pepper application either in ration or in water on productive performance, carcass characters and immune response of different broiler breeds was studied using 120 Cobb 500 chicks and 120 Ross 308 chicks which were distributed randomly into 3 experimental treatments; Hot pepper ration 2%, Hot pepper water 1% and Control treatment containing 40 bird per group for consecutive 6 weeks. Hot pepper supplementation either to water 1% or ration 2% has improved BWt, BWG and FCR of broilers compared to control group at the early ages (21 day) with significant (P˂0.05) increase in BWt value of 1% hot pepper water supplemented group compared to control, but their effects disappear with age. In addition, hot pepper supplementation in both water and diet can enhance the immune response to NDV but water supplementation only enhances the immune response to IBD. Also water supplementation with hot pepper 1% significantly (P˂0.05) increased the dressing percentage compared to other groups although hot pepper supplementation had no effect either on carcass cuts or internal organs weight. Ross breed had significant higher BWt (P˂0.001) and BWG (P˂0.01) compared to Cobb broilers but FCR values were similar in both breeds. Water intake did not affected by the breed or addition of hot pepper. On the contrary mortality % was higher in Cobb breed than Ross breed. Ross breed responded better to hot pepper water 1% at early ages however Cobb breed response was better at late ages. The results concluded that water supplementation with hot pepper 1% achieved better effects on productive performance, mortality % and immune response to NDV and IBD of different broiler breeds than hot pepper ration supplementation 2%. In addition, the results suggested the use of hot pepper at early ages rather than the whole growth period.

Key words: Hot pepper, Performance, Ross 308, Cobb 500, Carcass traits, NDV, IBD.