Responses of Broiler Chickens Fed Low or High Non-Starch Polysaccharide Diets and the Addition of Humic Substances from a Worm Compost

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the productivity, microbiology and histopathology of the jejunum, ceca and liver in broilers fed a control or a high non-starch polysaccharide (HNSPs) diet added with an extract of humic substances (EHS). 240 broilers individually allocated, from 21-42 d of age were assigned to a factorial arrangement of 2 types of diets: 1) A corn/soybean meal diet (Control) and 2) As Control plus 7% distillers dried grain with solubles and 12% of wheat bran (HNSPs), and 3 growth promoters: 1) Antibiotic growth promoters (AGP); 2) without AGP (NAGP) and C) with 0.5% of EHS. At the end of the trial, the breast and carcass were weighed and samples of the intestine, ceca and liver were taken for microbial and histopathology analysis. Results were subjected to ANOVA. EHS-fed broilers had lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) and total aerobic bacterial (TAB) counts in the liver and higher ashes digestibility with the Control diet, but negative responses were seen with the HNSPs diet (Type of diet and growth promoter interaction, p≤0.05). The lesion scores in the jejunum were lower in EHS-fed broilers with the Control and HNSPs diet (p≤0.05). The TAB and E. coli were lower in the jejunum and ceca of AGP-fed broilers (p<0.01) compared to NAGP and EHS groups. EHS-fed broilers showed improved FCR and ileal ashes digestibility and lower TAB in the liver with the Control diet and had lower lesion score in the jejunum and similar weight gain compared to the AGP-fed broilers.

Amylolytic and Cellulolytic Activities, the Digestibility of Dry Matter of Broiler Chickens After Feed Intake of Humic Substances

“…In the case of production parameters, the effects of 0.7 % supplementation of HS on the growth performance of broiler chickens were not so significant [18], as on the composition and quality of breast meat. On the contrary, broilers fed with HS extracted from worm compost in the drinking water, showed lower feed conversion ratio (FCR), higher energy digestibility and higher retention of dry matter (DM), ash, N and energy [15].…”