Response of pullet chickens to probiotic and antibiotic-supplemented diets

Abstract

Poultry production is an important way of ensuring food security, especially in Africa where food insecurity is still a challenge. Profitable commercial poultry production usually adopts intensive system of production, which involves the use of antibiotics for disease control and prevention and growth promotion. However, with the knowledge that antibiotics leave residues in meat has raised concern about its continuous use. In this study, the effect of commercial probiotics, antibiotic and diet without antibiotic on pullet chicken production was examined. Two hundred and fifty-five one-day old chicks were randomly allotted to five treatments in a completely randomized design. The experimental diets were as follows: Treatment 1; Basal diet (BD) alone: Treatment 2; BD + 4-Bac extra (probiotic). Treatment 3; BD + Salmo-nil dry (probiotic). Treatment 4; BD + Biovet Yc (probiotic). Treatment 5; BD + Oxytectracycline. The probiotics and the antibiotics were added to the feed as recommended by the manufacturer as follows: 4-Bac Extra (0.5g/ kg); Salmo-nil dry (2g/ kg); Biovet Yc (0.5g/kg) and antibiotics, Oxytectracycline (0.25g/kg). The study lasted for eight weeks. Growth performance and dry matter digestibility were not significantly (p>0.05) different across treatments. Crude protein digestibility was significantly (p<0.05) higher for birds fed with commercial probiotics (Biovet Yc and 4 Bac-extra) while birds fed diets containing Salmonil dry group (89.90) and antibiotics, Neoceryl plus group (91.68) compared with the control group (89.90). the study concludes that strict adherence to adequate biosecurity may prevent the use of synthetic antibiotics in poultry production.