Effect of dietary supplementation of organic acid combinations on gut pH and E. coli count of intestinal contents in broilers

The present study was carried out to investigate the production performance and carcass traits of broilers fed with different organic acid combination supplemented diets. Day old, straight run commercial broiler chicks (n=207) were distributed randomly to six treatments with three replicates of fifteen birds each and fed with the experimental diets from 0 to 42 days of age. Six experimental diets T1 (Basal diet), T2 (Basal diet+ Antibiotic @ 50 g/100 kg feed), T3 (Basal diet+20: 40: 40 combination of citric, formic and propionic acids @ 1.5 g/100 g of feed), T4 (Basal diet+30: 40: 30 combination of citric, formic and propionic acids @ 1 g/100 g feed), T5 (Basal diet+ 30: 30: 40 combination of citric, formic and propionic acids @ 1 g/100 g feed), T6 (Basal diet+ 10: 45: 45 combination of citric, formic and propionic acids @ 1.5 g/100 g feed) were prepared. The pH values of crop, duodenum and E.coli counts of intestinal contents decreased (P<0.01) in organic acid supplemented groups (T₃ to T₆) compared to T₂ and T₁ during both the phases but no significant difference was found in ceacum pH among treatments. Organic acid combinations supplementation to broiler diets resulted in improvement of acidic environment in the gut of broilers and decrease of microbial load especially during the starter phase. The organic acid combination of citric, formic and propionic at 20: 40: 40 combination can be safely incorporated at 1.5% level in broiler diets for better productive performance.