The Effects of Fermacto, Bactocell and Biostrong in Antibiotic-free Diets on the Performance of Broilers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of three antibiotic alternatives with a control (Antibiotic-free) and an antibiotic diet on performance and gut morphology of broilers reared on litter. 600 day-old ROSS-308 chicks were assigned to 48 pens in a CRD design with 6 × 2 factorial arrangements, in which 2 levels of chick density (5 and 7.5 chicks/m2) and 6 experimental diets (control, virginiamycin, fermacto, bactocell, biostrong and biostrong matrix-value formulated or biostrong-MV) were used. Higher chick density increased starter feed intake and decreased grower feed conversion ratio (FCR) significantly (p<0.05). Average daily gains (ADG) were not different among experimental diets except biostrong-MV that was the least. FCR of different diets were equal, both in starter and grower period. Performance traits didn't influenced by Diet × density interaction. Relative weight of digestive organs, especially jejunum, in antibiotic diets were lesser than other diets (P<0.05). The length per gram of jejunum resulted from experimental diets were similar, and so for ileum except that of fermacto that was significantly lesser than biostrong (p<0.05). The result of current experiment (winter and corn-soybean based diets) had shown that antibiotic alternatives not only didn't have an effect similar to antibiotic but also to control diet. Furthermore matrix-value method of diet formulation with biostrong lessened chick performance