Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented With Probiotics and Organic Acid as Alterative to Antibiotics

Abstract

In a study to evaluate the use of probiotics as alternative to antibiotics on the growth performanceand carcass characteristics of broiler chicken, 150 day-old Marshall strain of broiler chicks withan average weight of 50.47±1.76 g were randomly allotted into five (5) dietary treatments replicatedthrice in a completely randomized design (CRD). Diet T1, T2, T3 and T4 contained RE3-Enhancer®, Oxytetracycline, 4-Bac-Extra® and Salmo-Nil® supplementation respectively. DietT5 (Control) contained neither probiotics nor Antibiotics. The study lasted four (4) weeks at thestarter phase and five (5) weeks at the finishers. Data were collected on feed intake, weight gain,feed conversion ratio and carcass characteristics. Results revealed that no significant (p>0.05) difference exist in the final body weight and weight gain among the treatments for both the starterphase and the finisher phase. The weight gain ranged from 319.97 g in T1 fed RE3-Enhancer® to379.87 g in T5 fed basal diet only at the starter phase and 1559.50 g in T5 to 1850.90 in T4 fed theorganic acid at the finishers phase. Similarly, the total feed intakes were not significantly differentamong the treatments at the two phases of the study. The FCR were 2.24, 2.39, 2.30, 2.44 and 2.46in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively at the finisher phase. The carcass indices measured weresimilar (p>0.05) among the treatments except for percentages of neck and empty-gizzard. It couldbe concluded that the performance characteristics of the broiler chicken were not significantlyinfluenced by the inclusion of probiotics and organic acid.