In the poultry industry, growing concern about health risks is tightening regulations on the use of dietary antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), raising interest in safer substitutes. The study investigated the phytogenic effects of drinking-water supplemented apple cider vinegar (ACV) and garlic extract (GAE) on broilers. The study used 390 Ross 308 broiler chicks reared in a deep litter, open house, within 2.3 m2 pen partitions. Treatments were randomly allocated in 2 (sex) x 5 (additives) factorial experiment replicated three times. Chicks started (days 1–22) on the same antibiotic starter diet, followed by grower and finisher (29–42 days) phase antibiotic-free diets plus untreated drinking water (Negative control (NC), antibiotic free diet plus ACV treated drinking water (T1), antibiotic free diet plus GAE treated drinking water (T2), antibiotic free diet plus ACV + GAE treated drinking water (T3) or antibiotic diet plus untreated drinking water (positive control (PC). Males had higher (P