Growth performance and haematological profile of broiler chickens served dietary inclusion of probiotics (<i>Saccharomyces cereviasae</i>) and enzyme (bio-enzyme)

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance and haematological profiles of broiler chickens served dietary inclusion of probiotics  (Saccharomyces cereviasae) and enzyme (Bio-enzyme). One hundred and twenty, one day-old broiler chicks of Agrited strain were used for the study. The birds were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments. Each treatment contained 30 birds replicated three times to contain 10 birds per  replicate in a completely randomized design experiment. The four dietary treatments were T₁ Control (no probiotics and enzyme), T₂ (had both probiotics and enzyme), T₃ (probiotics only) and T₄ (Enzyme only). The birds were given feed and water ad-libitum and the quantity of feed consumed each day was determined through weigh back techniques while the birds were weighed weekly throughout the experimental period. The  experiment lasted eight weeks. The results showed significant (p<0.05) differences in the final body weight, total weight gain, average daily weight gain, total feed intake, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Chickens on treatment 2 had the highest final body weight of  3011.57g and performed better than chickens in other dietary treatments. Similar trend was observed in the haematological profile as treatment two were highest in value across the treatments and parameters measured except in packed cell volume where the highest value (36.33 %) was recorded in treatment 4. It was concluded from the study that treatment two which contained both probiotics and enzyme performed better and  thus, recommended to farmers for broiler production.

Keywords: Broilers, growth performance, haematology, probiotics and enzyme.