The effects of fermented milk products (kefir and yogurt) and probiotic on performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters, and gut microbial population in broiler chickens

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of fermented milk products and probiotic on performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters, and gut microbial population in broiler chickens. A total of 480 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were allocated to 30 floor pens in a completely randomized design with six treatments, five replicates, and 16 chicks (eight males and eight females) in each replicate. On the first day, the male and female chicks were weighed and divided by the feather sexing method so that the average body weight of chicks was approximately equal in each pen. Treatments consisted of six groups (including control): group 1 had a basal diet and normal drinking water, group 2 had a basal diet and probiotics (PrimaLac®) in drinking water as recommended by the manufacturer, group 3 had a basal diet and 2 % yogurt in drinking water, group 4 had a basal diet and 4 % yogurt in drinking water, group 5 had a basal diet and 2 % kefir in drinking water, and group 6 had a basal diet and 4 % kefir in drinking water. Chemical and microbiological characteristics of kefir and yogurt were measured after each production. The results showed that 4 % kefir, yogurt, and probiotic at the recommend level in water improved body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio compared with other groups (P<0.05). The results indicated that treatment had a significant effect on the carcass yield, intestinal length, thigh yield, and abdominal fat in male and female chickens (P<0.05). There were no effects on total bacteria population but the lactobacilli and coliform bacteria populations showed increasing and decreasing trends, respectively, with 4 % kefir, yogurt, and probiotic supplementation at 28 and 42 d (P<0.05). In addition, blood glucose and total protein increased when using a high levels of kefir, yogurt, and probiotic in water, while cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) concentrations were lower in 4 % kefir, yogurt, and probiotic at the recommended level. Consequently, the results of this study showed that the use of 4 % kefir, yogurt, and probiotic at recommended level in water had beneficial effects on the growth performance, intestinal bacteria population, and blood biochemical parameters in male and female broiler chickens.

Supplementation of probiotics in water beneficial growth performance, carcass traits, immune function, and antioxidant capacity in broiler chickens

“…Eviscerated yield, breast muscle yield, leg muscle yield, and abdominal fat rate were essential indicators for evaluating the slaughtering performance of broilers. The addition of probiotics increased the carcass yield of broiler chickens as previously reported [ 14 , 15 ]. Ghasemi-Sadabadi et al (2019) reported that the supplement of probiotic mix ( L. acidophilus , L. casei , and B. thermophilum ) had a significant effect on the carcass yield, thigh yield, and abdominal fat in male and female Ross 308 chickens [ 14 ].…”

“…The addition of probiotics increased the carcass yield of broiler chickens as previously reported [ 14 , 15 ]. Ghasemi-Sadabadi et al (2019) reported that the supplement of probiotic mix ( L. acidophilus , L. casei , and B. thermophilum ) had a significant effect on the carcass yield, thigh yield, and abdominal fat in male and female Ross 308 chickens [ 14 ]. On the contrary, Qorbanpour et al (2018) reported that the weights of carcass, breast, and thighs in chickens were not significantly influenced by dietary treatments with multistrain probiotics ( L. acidophilus , L. casei , E. faecium , and B. thermophilum ) [ 21 ].…”

“…All parameters of live BW, dressed weight, eviscerated weight, half-eviscerated weight (eviscerated weight with giblet), breast muscle, leg muscle, abdominal fat, and immune organ (bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen) were excised and weighed individually. The calculation method of carcass traits was conducted following the description of Ghasemi-Sadabadi et al [ 14 ]. Carcass yield was calculated as a percentage of the pre-live BW of the broilers.…”

“…Multiple works of literature have reported the diverse benefits of probiotic supplementation in breeding commercial animals, including the increase in feed conversion ratio (FCR) and weight gain, egg/milk yield, and the reduction in morbidity and mortality [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Probiotics advance the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and FCR; improve the gastrointestinal microecological environment; and enhance the internal immunity as well as antioxidant capacity, thereby inhibiting the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria in broiler chickens [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. In addition, probiotics were used to compact the negative effects of heat stress [ 8 ], salmonella [ 17 ], detoxification of nitrate [ 2 , 16 ], and aflatoxin [ 3 , 18 ].…”

In vitro digestion as a tool for functional isolation of a probiotic potential Lactobacillus rhamnosus

“…Probiotics are food supplements composed of live microorganisms that benefit the host by balancing the intestinal microbiota, and fermented dairy products are one of the important sources for the transfer of beneficial microorganisms (Ghasemi-Sadabadi, et al, 2019).…”