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Probiotic supplementation as an alternative to antibiotics in broiler chickens Cover

Probiotic supplementation as an alternative to antibiotics in broiler chickens

Open Access
|Mar 2024

Abstract

Introduction

The broiler chicken digestive tract microbiome maintains the bird’s immunity. Its composition has been shown to be important not only for the immune system but also for the gastrointestinal function and productivity of broiler chickens. If the microbiome is populated by supplementation with Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Saccharomyces spp. – microorganisms with probiotic properties and alternatives to antibiotics – the immune system is stimulated. The use of probiotic supplements in the broiler production cycle can boost bird immunity and prevent adenovirus infection. The resilience of broiler chickens in different feeding schemes including supplementation with these microorganisms was assessed.

Material and Methods

Four groups of Ross 308 chickens vaccinated on the standard scheme were investigated over 42 days. Group P received probiotics, prebiotics and vitamins; group AO received antibiotics; group P&AO received probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins and antibiotics; and the control group C received none of these. The birds’ immunocompetence against common viral poultry pathogens and their immune response to an experimental challenge with a field strain of infectious bronchitis was evaluated by ELISA and production parameters were recorded.

Results

Mortality was only observed in the control group and was 10%. All birds from the P, P&AO and AO groups responded to the challenge as would be expected of appropriately immunised chickens.

Conclusion

The obtained results indicated that supplementation with synbiotic products and vitamins can enhance broiler chicken immunity and result in better production parameters.

Language: English
Page range: 147 - 154
Submitted on: Aug 31, 2023
Accepted on: Feb 15, 2024
Published on: Mar 23, 2024
Published by: National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 times per year

© 2024 Grzegorz Tomczyk, Jowita Samanta Niczyporuk, Wojciech Kozdruń, Anna Sawicka-Durkalec, Łukasz Bocian, Marcin Barabasz, Marcin Michalski, published by National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.