EFFECTS OF PEDIOCOCCUS ACIDILACTICI ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND INTESTINAL MORPHOMETRY IN BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Pediococcus acidilactici on zootechnical performances and intestinal morphometry in broiler chickens.A total of 600 one-day-old chicks are divided into 2 experimental groups (5 repetitions of 60 chicks per treatment) and are fed, for 49 days, with a basic feed supplemented (Probiotic batch) or not (Control batch) with Pediococcus acidilactici. Under our conditions, the addition of the probiotic did notsignificantly modify the growth of the chickens but it reduced the mortality rate (2.33% vs.4.01%). In addition, this treatment significantly reduced feed conversion ratio. These results indicate a better assimilation of nutrients, which could be explained by a larger intestinal absorption surface as indicated by the significant increase in total intestinal length (p<0.05) found in the supplementedchickens compared to the controls.

Keywords

• broiler chickens
• intestinal morphometry
• probiotic
• supplementation
• zootechnical performances