Abstract
Organic acids can be replaced as effective feed additives with antibiotics. Organic acids and their salts have the potential to retard the development of pathogens in the diets and thus maintain the microbial equilibrium in the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, 225 day-old broiler chicks were used for a period of 21 days in order to examine the effect of different levels of organic acids (OA) on performance of broiler. The following parameters: feed intake, water consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), total Salmonella and E. coli count, weight of visceral organs and length of intestine were studied during starter phase. The experimental chicks were divided into five groups (n=5, 15 birds/replicate). The chicks in control group OA-0 were offered clean drinking water having no organic acid while those in group OA-1, OA-1.5 and OA-2 were given 1, 1.5 and 2ml of organic acid blend. Each litter of drinking water contained citric acid 80g, lactic acid 52g, phosphorous 92g, copper sulphate 10g, respectively. Organic acid (2ml/L) supplementation significantly (p<0.05) increased feed intake (405.37g), weight gain (218g), FCR (1.42), weight of liver (0.02g) and gizzard (0.03g). Similarly in group OA-2 organic acid supplementation significantly decreased (p<0.05) the total salmonella (1.6x10 7 ) and E. coli (1.7x10 7 logCFU/g) count in intestinal contents. From present findings it was concluded that organic acid supplementation at level of @ 2ml/L in drinking water had beneficial effect on broiler performance and also decreased the colonization of intestinal bacterial counts.
Highlights
Poultry production on commercial scale began in Pakistan in 1963
A total of 225- dayold chicks were obtained from commercial market and divided into five groups designated as organic acids (OA)-0, OA-0.5, OA-1, OA-1.5 and OA-2, having 3 replicates of 15 broiler chicks each
This research was performed to evaluate the effect of organic acids on the performance of broiler chicks
Summary
Poultry production on commercial scale began in Pakistan in 1963. New hybrid varieties were introduced to the poultry. A modern hatchery was established in Karachi by Pakistan International Airlines in shares with the Shaver (Canadian firm) in 1963. A series of layer and broiler farms, feed mills and hatcheries have been established in the private sector (Mohsin et al, 2008). The second biggest industry of Pakistan has developed as an outstanding alternative of beef and mutton. Its value can be recognized from the reality that almost every family in under developed country and every fifth family in developed country is linked directly with poultry sector in one way or the other. Pakistan has produced about 834,000 tons of poultry meat and 13,144 million eggs in 2011-12 (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2011-12)
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