Abstract

Background: Ginseng withania somnifera is an effective component in the manufacture of some medicines because it contains the active substance panaxosides and ginsenosides, which are antioxidants and have a tendency to increase the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, as well as the presence of phenols, peptides and acidic sugars. All of this enhances birds' internal and physiological environment and thus increases productive performance.
Aim: evaluation of adding ginseng as a nutritional supplement instead of antibiotics as a nutritional means to improve the productive performance and physiological environment of quails.
Methods: The research was presented at the Technology Research Center at the University of the North - Nineveh - Iraq - using 120 quails with an initial weight of 26 gm at two weeks old, randomly divided into four groups, with three replicates for each treatment, and red ginseng root powder was added to the usual diet of birds with the following treatments: T2: 1.3, T3: 1.8, T4: 2.3%, T1: control group, and the chicks were raised in cages, and measurements were taken for productive characteristics and physiological parameters were examined in the laboratory, the statistical analysis's findings were: There was a significant increase in weight gain, a significant improvement in feed conversion ratio, and net weight, and a decrease in abdominal fat percentage. Blood characteristics improved, as cholesterol and triglycerides decreased significantly while high-density lipoprotein, total blood protein, albumin, hemoglobin, platelets, and white blood cell count increased significantly.
Conclusion: Using ginseng in the diet (2.3 %) as a nutritional supplement improves bird productivity and blood physiology.

Key words: ginseng, carcass, productive performance, physiological performance, quail.