No abstract

Use of antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production to enhance performance is not recommended due to accumulation of antibiotic residues in the end products which can confer antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to consumers. Inclusion of probiotics in layers diets has reportedly enhanced laying performance and egg quality without the risks of AMR. A study to determine the effect of supplementation of a multi-strain probiotic on performance and egg quality was carried. A multi-strain probiotic (MolaPlus®) was purchased from a reputable supplier and administered to laying birds via drinking water at different levels; Prob0(control), Prob2.5(2.5ml/L), Prob5(5ml/L), Prob10(10ml/L) and Prob15(15ml/L). The birds were fed on mash feed which was purchased from a reputable feed manufacturer. One hundred and fifty (150) 65-weeks old ISA Brown were recruited from a laying flock and assigned to the five (5) treatments. The feed intake, body weight, egg weight, egg specific gravity, yolk colour, eggshell weight, and thickness was recorded weekly for 5 weeks. Hen day egg production and water intake were recorded daily while the mineral content of the eggshells (Ca & P) was determined during the 1st, 3rd and 5th week. The mean daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), body weight, hen day egg production, water intake, yolk colour, egg weight, specific gravity, shell weight, shell thickness and eggshell % were not influenced significantly (p > 0.05) by probiotic inclusion levels. There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in calcium content of the shells with inclusion of probiotics with Prob5 (52.8%) being the highest. The phosphorus content of the eggshells was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for Prob5 (0.5311) and Prob15 (0.5093) compared to control (Prob0), Prob2.5 and Prob10. From the findings, it can be concluded that a multi-strain probiotic (MolaPlus®) can be included in layers diet via drinking water to improve egg quality