Effect of Probiotic Administration on Productivity and Quality of Broiler Chicken Meat

The impact of a probiotic addition to feed and litter on production results in rearing of ROSS 308 broiler chickens and meat quality were assessed. The flock was divided into three testing variants of 60 birds each, namely, probiotic added to both feed and litter (PRO-FL); the control group with no probiotic (CON), and probiotic applied to litter alone (PRO-L). The rearing period of broiler chickens was 43 days. In the course of the study daily feed consumption, BW gains, culling and wastage of birds were recorded. Productive trait parameters indicated a positive effect of the applied bacterial cultures. The highest BW was obtained from chickens of PRO-FL, receiving probiotics in both feed and litter, which were, on an average, heavier by over 500g from control (CON) birds. Chickens from the pen where the probiotic was applied to the litter (PRO-L) were also heavier, on an average, by about 350g from the control birds. Feed consumption (kg/kg BW) in individual groups was the lowest (P<0.05) in the group receiving the feed and litter (PRO-FL; 1.55) vis-a-vis only litter (PRO-L; 1.83) and the control (CON; 2.20). The highest mortality (normal) was 4% in the group receiving the probiotic only in feed, and it was 1% in the remaining two groups. There were no differences (P<0.005) in percent of the share of breast muscles and in edible and inedible parts among the testing variants of chickens. The quality of the poultry meat, i.e. colour, texture and sensory evaluation were similar among the testing variants.