1Department of Veterinary Bacteriology
2Department of Veterinary Biochemistry
3Department of Livestock Production and Management
Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar-751 003, India
*Corresponding author: npandaouat@gmail.com
Online published on 24 October, 2013.
The influence of probiotics and/or prebiotics supplementation on growth and immunity of coloured broiler chicks during summer was studied. Day-old coloured broiler chicks (180) were randomly distributed into four groups with three replicates having 15 chicks in each. The four treatments were T1 -control group fed with basal diet; T2 - basal diet+ probiotic @ 10 g/q feed; T3-basal diet + prebiotic MOS, @ 4000 ppm and T4- basal diet+ probiotic @ 10 g/q and prebiotic @ 4000 ppm. The supplementation was continued from 0–56 days of age during natural peak summer period. The birds were vaccinated with NDV (LaSota) on 7th and 21st day and immunity status was studied. Feeding probiotics alone improved final body weight, increased HI titre, total viable count (TVC) in different parts of gut. Feeding prebiotics does not show any significant effect on growth. However supplementation of pro and prebiotics in combination improved body weight, FCR, HI titre, TVC and lowered the cost of production. It is concluded that the feeding of both probiotics and prebiotics in combination during summer improved the growth and immune status of the broiler birds.
Probiotics, Prebiotics, Broiler, Growth, immunity, Summer
