Pododermatitis is a major concern in broiler production and is used as an audit criterion for poultry health checks in the United States and Europe. Pododermatitis is often associated with wet litter or poor litter quality. It is considered painful for birds and reduces the number of times the affected bird approaches the feeders and drinkers. Reduced feed and water consumption has a significant impact on weight gain, feed conversion and overall herd performance. As a result of the studies carried out to assess the degree of pododermatitis, it was observed that the quality of the paws increases or decreases, depending on the composition of the feed consumed.

The article presents the results of studies conducted on the inclusion of Presan and Selko pH feed additives produced on the basis of organic acids in the feeding diets of Ross-308 cross broiler chickens. Organic acids and their salts are used in poultry farming as an alternative to feed antibiotics, and also has the ability to prevent the development of intestinal bacterial infection, increase the resistance of the body, thereby improving the absorption of feed nutrients and increasing poultry productivity. The largest preslaughter weight was in the groups of cockerels getting the T6 diet without antibiotics adding, which is 1.92% more than the groups getting the T1-control diet. In addition, the output of the pectoral and femoral muscles was higher by chickens getting a T6 diet by 0.5 and 0.3%, in contrast to groups getting a standard diet. Thus, it has been experimentally proven that the tested feed additives Presan and Selko pH do not reduce the slaughter performance of broilers.

One of the methods of combating unwanted microflora is the use of antibiotics, however, along with positive properties, they have a number of significant disadvantages, in particular, the detrimental effect of both pathogenic and beneficial intestinal microflora. In this regard, there is an urgent need to replace antibiotics with safer substances, which increasingly include probiotics. The mechanism of action of probiotics is to selectively affect pathogenic microflora, without harming the beneficial one. In the course of the study, it was found that low-protein diets (low in protein, but balanced in amino acid profile) allow unlocking the potential of probiotic cultures of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain and, as a result, reduce feed conversion by 0.08 kg/kg.

No abstract

Under industrial conditions, broiler chickens are constantly exposed to stressful factors that can increase their susceptibility to intestinal diseases, leading to reduced productivity, immune suppression, and increased mortality. Antibiotics are widely used to maintain and improve productivity in such conditions. However, in recent years, there has been a tightening of the rules on the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry in order to stop them from entering food for people, as well as in connection with the emergence of strains of pathogenic bacteria that have developed resistance to a wide range of antibiotics, which pose a danger to human health and life. In this regard, manufacturers are searching for alternatives to antibiotics. One of the most promising groups is probiotics. In the course of the study, it was found that low-protein diets (with a low protein content, but balanced by the amino acid profile) can unlock the potential of probiotic cultures of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain and, as a result, increase the safety of broiler chickens by 4.6 %, body weight by 10.1 %.