Effect of direct-fed microbial addition in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) diets on performance and health responses.

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of intermittent use of direct-fed microbial addition (DFM-"RE3®")on growth performance and health status of indigenous guinea fowls in northern Ghana. One-hundred and eighty day-old guinea keets were randomly assigned to 4 direct-fed microbial (DFM) treatments that included: control, daily, 3 consecutive days per wk (3CDW), and 7 days repeated every other wk (7DREOW) at 1.5ml/L through water from day 1 to 56 days.Feed intake, body weight gain, and blood hematological and serum biochemical properties were recorded. The treatments had no effects (P > 0.05) on the hematological or serum biochemical properties recorded. Birdson DFM treatments appeared to consume less feed(range: 1,584 to 1,824g/d) comparedto the control (1,870g/d/head). Birdson DFM treatments daily and 3CDW gained more (P < 0.05) weight(334 to 394g/d) comparedto the control (306.1g/head) with keets on daily DFM supplementation recording the lowest (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio. The total blood protein, globulin, lipids, albuminconcentrations, and cholesterol concentrations werenot affected (P > 0.05) by DFM supplementation. Supplementing birds with 1.5mL of RE3®/liter ofwater daily can improve body weight. Further research on immune competence from the spleen, thymus, andbursa fibrosis for evidence of increased immune competence in probiotic administered birds is recommended.