Mahdiyeh Soltani; Mozhgan Mazhari; Omidali Esmaeilipour
Volume 17, Issue 2 , October 2015, , Pages 291-300
Abstract
Effect of probiotic (Clostat) levels on the performance and immune response of heat stressed broilers, was evaluated in a completely randomized design on 144 day-old male Ross broiler chicks with four treatments and four replicates (nine birds each). Experimental diets were consisted in four levels of ...
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Effect of probiotic (Clostat) levels on the performance and immune response of heat stressed broilers, was evaluated in a completely randomized design on 144 day-old male Ross broiler chicks with four treatments and four replicates (nine birds each). Experimental diets were consisted in four levels of probiotic (0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2). Birds were raised under normal condition till 25 days of age and then were exposed to heat stress (34±2°C for eight hours/day) till the end of trial. The results showed that the effect of probiotic on feed intake was not significant, while birds receiving 0.05 and 0.1 percent probiotic had more body weight gain (P<0.05) compared with control birds. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was better with 0.1 percent probiotic. Increasing probiotic levels, increased relative weight of carcass, breast meat and liver (P<0.05). Blood cholesterol concentration was decreased by probiotic levels (P<0.01). Heterophil and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio was decreased and glutathione peroxidase increased by probiotic addition. It is concluded that dietary supplementation of 0.1 percent probiotic may improve broiler growth performance and immunity under heat stress condition.