Comparison study of a natural non-antibiotic growth promoter and a commercial probiotic on growth performance, immune response and biochemical parameters of broiler chicks
2015
Manafi, M. (Malayer University, Malayer (Iran). Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Science)
The objective of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a non-antibiotic growth promoter (Non-AGP) which is a combination of phytomolecules, direct-fed microbials (DFMs) and organic acids on performance, serum enzyme activities, immune response and visceral organ weights of commercial broiler chickens. A total of 375 day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens (mixed sex) were obtained from a local hatchery, weighed, and randomly allotted to 5 treatment groups with 5 replicates of 15 birds each. They received different treatments as basal diet (control); control plus 400 mg/kg bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD); control plus 0.05% Non-AGP (Non-AGP1); control plus 0.1% Non-AGP (Non-AGP2) and control plus 0.1% commercial probiotic (PRO). Chicks fed BMD resulted in maximum feed efficiency and a significant (P<=0.05) increase in the body weight, relative weights of liver, kidney and pancreas and Newcastle disease (ND), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) and Avian Influenza (AI) titers at d 42. Dietary inclusion of Non-AGP at the level of 0.1% into the basal diet proved its efficiency equal to BMD fed chicks, whereas addition of a probiotic at the level of 0.1% showed its applicability similar to the control group. It is concluded that the tested Non-AGP product at 0.1% but not 0.05% in the current study may be a suitable replacement for BMD in poultry diets.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Information Technology Center