DIETARY INCLUSION OF PROBIOTIC (LEVU CELL) FOR THE PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BROILER

Abstract

The dietary effect of levu cell, a commercial probiotic on the broiler growth, meat yield and economics of production was studied for the period of 35 days. A total of One hundred twenty unsexed day-old commercial broiler chicks (Hubberd classic) were randomly divided into four dietary treatments having 3 replications in each treatment. The number of birds in each treatment was 30 while in each replicate 10. The birds were fed probiotic (levu cell) at dietary levels of T₀(0g), T₁(0.5g), T₂(1.0g) and T₃(1.5g) per kg of mixed feed. The body weight gain of different treatment groups ware as T₀(1196.28g), T₁(1186.88g), T₂(1251.58g) and T₃(1273.41g).Feed intake of different groups were T₀(2388.4g), T₁(2446.15g), T₂(2484.90g) and T₃(2502.80g) and feed conversion ratio of different group were T₀(1.99), T₁(2.06), T₂(1.98) and T₃(1.96). A little improvement was observed in body weight gain of broiler chicks at 35 days for T₂(1251.58g) and T₃(1273.41g) groups, although body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion of broilers did not differ significantly (P>0.05) compared to control group. The abdominal fat weight of different group were T₀(1.11%), T₁(1.14%), T₂(1.0%) and T₃ (1.0%). The supplementation of probiotic in broiler diets was effective in reducing abdominal fat deposition (P<0.05) but had no significant effect on other meat yield parameters of broilers. The addition of probiotic in the diet of broilers at the levels studied could not aid in economizing broiler production. It was concluded that probiotic could not show beneficial effects on performance of broilers at the level tested but was effective in reducing abdominal fat.