EFFECTS OF PROBIOTICS AND METHANOIC ACID ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKEN

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Ekram Poltry farm, Domar, Nilphamari to determine the Effects of probiotics and methanoic acid on the performance of broiler. A total of 120 day-old broiler chicks (Cobb 500) fed diets T0, T1, T2 and T3 having three replications in each. The diet was then divided into 4 equal parts for treatment groups. Supplementation of control diet, supplementation of 0.75% probiotics in control diet, supplementation of 0.75% of methanoic acid in water supplementation, and o.5% probiotics in control diets combined with 0.5% of methanoic acid in water were made available for treatment T0, T1, T2 and T3 respectively. The birds were reared in floor management system. Body weight gains, feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality and meat yield traits were recorded. The present study revealed that there was no significant (P>0.05) variation of initial body weight (g/broiler) among the dietary groups and final body weight (g/broiler) and body weight gain. The highest body weight was found in T1 (1732gm), followed by T3 (1725gm), T2 (1715.66gm), and T0 (1695gm) respectively. The lowest FCR was in dietary group T1 (1.55) and highest in dietary group T0 (1.62) at 28th day (4 weeks) of age and the intermediates are in T2 (1.58) and T3 (1.57) respectively. It was found that there was no significant (P<0.05) difference among the dietary groups in case of carcass weight (gm), live weight (gm), thigh weight (gm), breast weight (gm) and there was almost similar (P>0.05) among the dietary groups for heart weight (gm), gizzard weight(gm), liver weight(gm) and heart weight (gm). Carcass weight in T1 (1313gm) and live weight T1 (1763gm) were non significantly (P<0.05) different compared to control T0 (1117gm) and T0 (1620gm) respectively. No mortality was found among the dietary groups during experimental period.