The Role of Probiotics in Suppressing Campylobacter jejuni Infection in Broilers: Performance Parameters

Abstract

The use of probiotics as feed additives in farms has been widely known both at a small and large scale. As a substitute for the Antibiotic Growth Promoter (AGP) that has been banned for animal feed, probiotics are used in broilers feeds to improve their performance. Campylobacter jejuni is a type of pathogenic bacteria that often infect birds, especially broilers, and reduce broiler's performance. This study aims to reveal the role of probiotics in the performance of broilers infected by Campylobacter jejuni. A total of 21 broiler Day Old Chicks (DOC) were divided into 3 groups of 7 with different diets: Group K as the control group were given basal diet, Group BA were given a mixture of basal diet and AGP, and Group BP were given a mixture of basal diet and probiotics. This treatment was implemented for 5 straight weeks. In week 3, a Campylobacter jejuni challenge test was conducted using body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), and carcass percentage (CP) as the performance parameters. In terms of BW, from week 1 to week 3 no significant differences were found among the groups. In week 4, however, Group BP had a significantly higher BW that Group K, but insignificantly higher than Group BA. In terms of BWG, from week 1 to week 3 there was also no significant differences among the groups. However, in week 4, BWG in Group BP was found to be significantly higher than that of the other two groups. Finally, in terms of CP, Group BP was found to have higher CP than the other two groups, although the difference is not significant. These results show that probiotics can improve broilers' performance by suppressing Campylobacter jejuni infection.