Probiotics in Poultry Nutrition—A Review

Abstract

SummaryThe commercial use of probiotics in the livestock industry, especially poultry, is relatively new. Only within the last few years have research workers documented the results of incorporating probiotics into poultry diets. Probiotics have been found to improve animal performance and statistically significant responses have been reported. There have also been reports of no benefit from the use of probiotics in poultry diets. With the already high cost of feed ingredients rising each year any slight advantage, may prove to be economically beneficial to the producer. Probiotics, by favouring colonization with a specific group of beneficial micro-organisms, create an environment biased against undesirable organisms.The use of probiotics in commercial poultry production is still in its infancy. More research needs to be conducted to determine why results are sometimes so variable with probiotics in poultry feeds. These data would make it easier for producers to decide whether or not probiotics should be used and would be even more important in the future if governmental agencies should ever prohibit the use of subtherapeutic levels of antibiotics.