Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Greener Journal of  Agricultural Sciences Vol. 3 (12), pp. 794-800, December 2013.

 ISSN: 2276-7770 

Research Paper

Manuscript Number: 102913935

 

Lower Illeal Microflora and Growth Performance of Broilers Supplemented with Organic Acid Blend (Aciflex®) During Starter Phase

 

*Sarzamin Khan, Asad Sultan, Aaqil Muhammad,

Naila Imtiaz, Muhammad Mobashar, Hamayun Khan,

Mohammad Saleem, Mohammad Inam and Rafiullah

 

Department of Poultry Science, the University of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan.

               

*Corresponding Author’s Email: dr.zaminaup @ gmail.com

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 (1.6x107) and E. coli (1.7x107logCFU/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.
 
Keywords: Organic acid, broilers, growth performance, microflora.

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