Abstract
The present study was carried out to evaluate the substitution of synthetic performance enhancers by ethanolic propolis extract (EPE) in the diet of broilers and their effects on performance, carcass yield, noble cuts, viscera and bed quality. A completely randomized design was used, with four treatments and six replicates each, totaling 24 experimental plots with 20 birds each. The experimental treatments were: negative control, without the inclusion of performance improvement and EPE-free; positive control, containing avilamycin performance enhancer; Inclusion of 0.1% of EPE and; Inclusion of 0.2% EPE. The analyzed data were submitted to analysis of variance and applied the SNK test at 5% probability. There was no effect of the inclusion of additives on feed intake and feed conversion in the periods from 1 to 7, 1 to 21, and from 1 to 42 days of age. Weight gain was lower in birds receiving feed with the inclusion of 0.1% EPE in the period from 1 to 7 days, not differing from the other treatments in the other evaluation periods. Carcass characteristics, cuts, and viscera and bed moisture were not influenced by the treatments used. The inclusion of ethanol extract from propolis as a performance enhancer up to 42 days of age provided similar results to the use of performance enhancers based on avilamycin, thus being an efficient substitute in poultry production.
Highlights
Brazilian poultry has shown high growth rates in recent decades and stands out in the agricultural sector among the economic activities that have developed the most due to advances in nutrition, management, sanity, and genetics (Vogado et al, 2016)
The chicks were acquired from a commercial hatchery, vaccinated against Marek disease at one day of age and raised in a conventional shed, with northeast-southeast orientation, built-in masonry with wooden structure and roof in ceramic clay tiles
Analyzing the Variable GP in the period from 1 to 7 days there was a difference between treatments, and the birds that received 0.1% of ethanolic propolis extract (EPE) presented worse weight gain (p < 0.05) compared to the other treatments
Summary
Brazilian poultry has shown high growth rates in recent decades and stands out in the agricultural sector among the economic activities that have developed the most due to advances in nutrition, management, sanity, and genetics (Vogado et al, 2016). As an example of an additive, we can mention antimicrobial performance enhancers, mainly antibiotics and chemotherapy (Zanu et al, 2020), which are products that have proven efficacy on animal productivity and health and are widely used in commercial broiler productions (Ali et al, 2017). The inclusion of this ingredient in diets has as main objective the selection of bacteria beneficial to the intestine, improving the intestinal health of birds, ensuring greater use of the nutrients offered by the diet (Abudabos, Alyemni, Dafalla, & Khan, 2016; Meimandipour, Nouri Emamzadeh, & Soleimani, 2017)
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