Effect of organic acid salts as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters on growth performance and intestinal morphometry of commercial broiler chicken

An experiment was conducted with 240 day old commercial broiler chicks to evaluate the efficacy of substituting growth promoters (antibiotics) with salts of organic acids in the feed for six weeks. Control and treatment diets were prepared by incorporating with lincomycin HCl (4.4), bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD; 50 ppm), calcium propionate (1000, 2000 ppm) and sodium butyrate (500, 1000 ppm), respectively, either alone or in combination with two organic acids (1000+500 ppm). There was no significant difference in body weight, body weight gain, cumulative feed intake, FCR and livability among the treatment groups. However, the group supplemented with higher level of calcium propionate (2000 ppm) had 6.48% higher body weight gain than lower level (1000 ppm). Improvement in the European economic factor and better cost of production were observed in organic acid treated groups. Calcium propionate (2000 ppm) significantly increased the villus height, goblet cell number/ 100µm, height to crypt depth ratio of duodenum, and jejunum in both the organic acids whereas in ileum, organic acids significantly increased the goblet cell number/ 100µm, crypt depth and villus height to crypt depth ratio. Based on the overall production performance and cost of production, calcium propionate @ 1000 ppm or coated sodium butyrate @ 500 ppm could be supplemented in the commercial broiler diet as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.