Use of probiotics in broiler feed at starter phase

The experiment was carried out at MS Poultry Farm Baffa, district Mansehra, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) during 2005-2006. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of locally available probiotic (mixture of live cultured beneficial microbes having trade name as Organic Green Culture; OGC) was added in the starter rations of broiler chicks. The effectiveness of the product was quantified in terms of gain in body weight (GBW), dry matter intake (DMI) and feed efficiency (FE). Four hundred and sixteen day-old chicks were randomly distributed into 4 groups, A, B, C and D, where each group was further divided into 4 sub-groups containing 26 birds each. Four experimental diets viz. I, II, III and IV where OGC probiotic was added @ 0, 1, 2 and 4 grams per Kg of feed, respectively were randomly allotted to these 16 sub-groups in such a way that each ration was replicated 4 times. Each ration was given ad l ibitum twice daily. The experiment lasted for 21 days. The data were statistically analyzed using completely randomized design. The mean values for GBW were 515.8, 523.5, 573.8 and 573.3 grams, the mean values for FI were 645.0, 633.0, 599.0 and 600.0 grams, while the mean values for FE were 1.35, 1.21, 1.04 and 1.04 for the chicks fed rations I, II, III and IV, respectively. Probiotic treatment highly (P less than 0.001) positively affected the GBW, DMI and FE of the experimental chicks. The chicks fed diet IV had OGC probiotic @ 4 g/kg starter ration resulted better GBW than the chicks fed diets I and II containing probiotic @ 0 and 1 g/kg. The chicks fed diet III (containing probiotic @ 2 g/kg) exhibited more GBW than the chicks fed diet II. The chicks in group C consuming feed added with probiotic @ 2 g/kg starter rations showed the lowest DMI as compared with those in groups A, B and D fed on probiotic @ 0, 1 and 4 g/kg starter rations. The chicks fed on control ration p resented the poorest FE as compared to those fed rations having probiotic. It was concluded that the addition of OGC probiotic @ 2 g/kg had the potential to improve the over all growth performance traits of commercial Hubbard broiler chicks during starter phase.