PERFORMANCE, GUT MICROBIAL POPULATION AND HISTOLOGY OF BROILER CHICKENS FED PROBIOTICS AND ORGANIC ACID SUPPLEMENTED DIETS

This study evaluated the effects of sodium acetate and probiotics on performance, gut histology and intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens. Two hundred and forty, one-day old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were randomly allotted to one of the four treatments: Negative control(basal), positive control (antibiotics), sodium acetate and probiotics with six replicates of ten birds each in a study that lasted for 42 days. Feed intake was not affected at starter phase. The body weight gain (BWG) of birds fed sodium acetate (648.63g/bird) was higher (P<0.05) compared to 463.58g/bird (negative control), 460.32g/bird (positive control), and 461.81g/bird (probiotics). At finisher phase, the feed conversion ratio of birds were not affected. The body weight gain of birds fed the different feed additives showed significant (P<0.05) differences. It was observed that birds fed sodium acetate had higher (P<0.05) BWG (965.83g/bird) compared to control (721.43g/bird), antibiotics (762.44g/bird) and probiotics (770.77g/bird) supplemented diets. Sample sectioning of the ileum of birds fed the control diet showed no observable lesion, poor section and a thinned villi. However, birds that fed with diet containing probiotics showed moderate villi atrophy, while birds fed sodium acetate diet showed no observation lesion. Lactobacillus count in birds fed sodium acetate (13.15) and probiotics (15.27) were higher (P<0.05) compared to other treatments. However E. coli, Salmonella and fungi population did not differ (P>0.05) significantly in birds fed different dietary treatments. The total bacteria count (TBC) observed in birds fed the negative control (basal) was higher (P<0.05) than TBC of birds in other diets. A healthy gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens was achieved using sodium acetate and probiotics.