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The effect of sodium butyrate on various bodily parameters of broilers such as performance, gut microflora, gut morphology, and immunity is reviewed in order to highlight its importance as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Sodium butyrate is used as a source of butyric acid, which is known for its beneficial effects in the gut in monogastrics. Sodium butyrate is available in uncoated and entericcoated forms protected with fat or fatty acid salts. Varying results in productive performance, gut microbes, and gut morphology have been reported in the literature in response to supplementation of broiler diets with uncoated and fatcoated types of sodium butyrate. However, sodium butyrate has shown pronounced effects on immunity of chickens that are not fully understood yet. Although there are contrasting results of sodium butyrate in chicken, further research is needed using the sodium butyrate coated with the salts of fatty acids.

The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of different levels of dietary phytogenic feed additive (PFA) on growth performance, caecal microbiota, and intestinal morphology of broilers. A total of 480 Ross-308 one-day-old male broilers chicks (body weight 43+3 g) were randomly assigned to 32 replicate pens of four experimental groups, each experimental group consisting of 8 replicates (each replicate pen consisting of 15 chicks). A basal diet was formulated based on corn and soybean meal that was fed to the control group. Other dietary treatments received a commercial PFA at 100 mg/kg (PFA100), 125 mg/kg (PFA125), and 150 mg/kg (PFA150). Body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion rate of broilers were recorded on 1-21, 22-42, and 1-42 days of age. One bird was slaughtered on the 21 st and 42 nd days and caecal contents were aseptically collected. Jejunal tissue samples were also collected on the same days. Total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, and lactobacilli were counted in the caecal contents. Villus height, villus diameter, crypt depth, muscular thickness, and goblet cell number per villus were recorded. There was no difference among the dietary treatments for growth performance and caecal microbe populations at any phase. However, the dietary PFA supplementation increased the villus height, villus width, muscularis thickness, and reduced the crypt depth and goblet cell number per villus in broilers compared to those fed control diets. In conclusion, this study suggests that dietary supplementation of a PFA consisting of blend of different spices and essential oils did not improve growth performance and caecal microbial populations despite a positive improvement in the jejunal morphometry of broilers.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) supplementation of ration on performance, egg quality, and serum cholesterol of laying quails during an eight-week period. For this purpose, 96 quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) of 16 weeks of age were evenly separated into one control group and three treatment groups. Each group was divided into four replicates, each containing six quail. The fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare) were added to the diets of the first, second, and third treatment groups at levels of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9%, respectively. No significant effect of dietary fennel seed supplementation was recorded on body weight, feed intake, egg production, and egg weight. Feed efficiency (kg feed per kg egg) of the 0.6% treatment group was negatively affected by fennel seed supplementation; however, kilogram of feed:dozen egg ratio was not affected when compared with the control group. The effects of dietary treatments on shape index, albumen height, albumen index, Haugh unit, yolk index, yolk colour, blood cholesterol level, and total phenol content of egg yolk had no significance. Dietary fennel seed do not affect the egg quality and blood cholesterol level of laying quail. The amount of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% dietary fennel seed supplementation do not have any adverse effect on performance and egg quality of laying quail.

A 49-day trial was conducted to determine the impact of dietary amino acid ( AA ) density and stocking density ( SD ) on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and white striping ( WS ) occurrence in broiler chickens. Two hundred eighty-eight Ross 308 male broilers consisting of 6 replicate cages with 8 broilers per replicate were used. Treatments were arranged in a 3 × 2 factorial and consisted of 3 AA densities (normal, 10, or 20% lower than normal) and 2 different SD (high 35 kg/m 2 or low 26 kg/m 2 ). Breasts were classified as normal, moderate, and severe for WS. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design using the GLM procedure. Decreasing AA density decreased overall growth performance, carcass, breast yields, and fillet dimensions linearly, while leg and rib cage yields increased linearly ( P < 0.01). High SD decreased hot carcass, breast, wings, and rib cage weights in birds fed normal AA diets ( P < 0.05). High SD increased the length of breast fillet ( P < 0.05). Cooking loss, breast lightness (L∗), and redness (a∗) at 48 h postmortem increased linearly with decreasing AA density, while ultimate breast pH ( pH u ) and nitrogen content decreased linearly ( P < 0.05). The occurrence of normal, moderate, and severe WS fillets was 45.3, 49.1, and 5.6%, respectively. As the dietary AA density decreased, the occurrence of no WS breast fillets increased linearly, whereas the occurrence of moderate WS fillets and mean WS score decreased linearly ( P < 0.05). SD did not affect the occurrence of WS. Severe WS fillets were heavier and had higher cranial thickness, pH u , and fat content and lower yellowness ( P < 0.05), but water-holding capacity, nitrogen content, L∗, and a∗ value did not differ among different WS scores. Taken together, WS occurrence and severity increased with higher growth rate. Growth depression created by lowering dietary AA density regardless of SD resulted in a decrease in mean WS score, but it also compromised the growth and meat quality.

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The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of dietary boric acid supplementation on the development of incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens subjected to normal or high stocking densities (NSD or HSD). A total of 576 1-day-old ROSS 308 broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 4 treatments (8 replicate pens per treatment) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary boric acid (0 and 60 mg/kg) and stocking density (NSD 14 birds/m2 and HSD 22 birds/m2). Basal diets were formulated for starter, grower, and finisher phases. Growth performance, litter quality (litter pH, moisture, temperature, and NH3 volatilization), serum and litter boron levels, and incidence and severity of FPD were recorded. The HSD affected the body weight gain and feed intake of broiler chickens during all phases and 0 to 42 (P < 0.05), whereas feed conversion ratio (FCR) was poor at 0 to 21 days only. Dietary boric acid had no effect on the growth performance of broiler chickens. Litter pH, moisture, and NH3 volatilization were higher in broiler chickens subjected to HSD (P < 0.05). Thus, the incidence and severity of FPD increased in response to HSD (P < 0.05). Dietary boric acid reduced the litter pH and NH3 volatilization on day 42 of experiment (P < 0.05). However, dietary boric acid supplementation had no effect on the incidence and severity of FPD. Boric acid supplementation in broiler diets increased the serum and litter boron levels at day 42 in broiler chickens subjected to NSD or HSD (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HSD resulted in poor growth performance, litter quality, and greater incidence and severity of FPD in broiler chickens. Dietary boric acid was ineffective against FPD in broiler chickens although it improved the litter quality by lowering the litter pH and NH3 volatilization.

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