EFFECT OF PROBIOTICS ON NUTRIENT BALANCE IN BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the life of chickens and adult
birds. Therefore, probiotic products are in demand for the poultry farming. They consist
mostly of spore-forming Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. bacteria because of the fact that
these bacteria tolerate fermentation, freezing, drying, thawing and rehydration. In the
intestines of the poultry, these microbes multiply rapidly and are involved in the digestion of
feed. Four groups of broilers Ross-308 were grown in cubicles on straw up to 35 days
according to a standard technological program. Concentrate feed “Start” (0-14 days), “Rost”
(15-28 days), “Finish” (29-35 days) were used for feeding chickens. Probiotic products were
added into concentrate feed for groups 2, 3, and 4 at a dose of 200 g/t. The digestion trial was
carried out from the 36th to 42nd day. 3 cockerels and 3 female chicks from each group were
placed in a special cage. The quantity and quality of concentrate feed and excrements were
registered. The nutrient balance was identified by calculation. The digestibility of crude
protein and concentrate feed fat in chickens was higher in groups 3 (Bacillus subtilis KB41)
and 4 (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens KB54) compared with group 1 (without probiotic products)
and group 2 (Bacillus subtilis KATMIRA1933). Calcium and phosphorus usage of the feed
did not differ significantly between groups. On average, the availability of 6 essential and 10
non-essential amino acids of the concentrate feed is 86.78% and 80.27%. The availability of
amino acids in groups 3 and 4 is averagely the same – 87.21-88.11% and 81.28-82.15%.