The use of probiotic in chicken-broilers feeding

Abstract

Biologically active feed additives of natural origin that do not hurt the body are increasingly used in poultry farming, making it possible to produce safe food products. It is known that probiotics are preparations of microbial origin that manifest their properties through the regulation of intestinal microflora. The primary mechanism of action of probiotics is to populate the gastrointestinal tract with strains of beneficial bacteria that displace opportunistic microflora from the intestinal biocenosis. The experiment aimed to establish the effect of probiotic feed additives on the productivity, slaughter performance, and meat quality of broiler chickens. Following the purpose of the research, a scientific and economic experiment was conducted on two similar groups of broiler chickens of the “Cobb-500” cross from one day to 42 days of age, with 20 heads in each group according to the experiment scheme. The experiment lasted 42 days. With the use of a feed additive in feeding broiler chickens of the 2nd group, the live weight increased by 11.9 % (Р ≤ 0.001) compared to the control group. It was found that under the influence of the supplement, the average daily growth in broiler chickens of the 2nd group was higher by 12.1 %, absolute by 12.2 % (Р ≤ 0.001) compared to control peers during the entire experiment period. In addition, in the 2nd group of broilers, feed consumption per 1 kg of growth is reduced by 8.9 % compared to the control. The use of a feed additive in the feeding of broiler chickens of the 2nd group increases the pre-slaughter live weight by 12.0 % (Р ≤ 0.001), the weight of an uncut carcass by 12.1 % (Р ≤ 0.001), half-cut carcass by 9.9 % (Р ≤ 0.01) and by 13.3 % (Р ≤ 0.001) relative to the control value. With the consumption of the investigated feed additive in broilers of the 2nd group, the level of total moisture in the pectoral muscles increased by 1.3 % (Р ≤ 0.05), and in the femoral muscles, the hygromoisture level was higher by 0.2 % (Р ≤ 0.05) and the amount of nitrogen by 0.2 % (Р ≤ 0.05), compared to the control group.