Evaluating the impact of Bacteriophages on production performance and gut health in broiler chickens

Gaikwad, S.S., Desai, D.N., Ranade, A.S., Avari, P.E., Gole, M.A., Jagadale, S.D. and Pharande, R.R. 2023. Evaluating the impact of Bacteriophages on production performance and gut health in broiler chickens. Indian Journal Poultry Science, 58(3): 241–246.

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of bacteriophages on production performance and gut health in broilers. Five hundred day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into five groups with four replicates. The bacteriophage products were administered through water on alternate days. Group A (control), Group B received bacteriophage against Salmonella (0.013 ml/bird) from 0 to 35 days, Group C received same bacteriophage (0.026 ml/bird) during second and fourth week, Group D received bacteriophage against Escherichia coli (0.01 ml/bird) from 0 to 35 days. Group E received the same bacteriophage (0.02 ml/bird) during second and fourth week. Weekly records for growth parameters were maintained. Evaluation of intestinal villi height and width, total viable count, Escherichia coli count, Salmonella count and the economics of production was calculated. The growth parameters were statistically similar among the groups. However, the group C recorded numerically higher live weight, and best feed conversion ratio compared to all other groups. The birds receiving bacteriophage against Salmonella recorded highest intestinal villi height and width and lowest total viable count and Escherichia coli count among all other groups. The birds from group E were the only ones to record Salmonella count. Thus, it is safe to use bacteriophages in broiler production for getting comparable performance of the birds with no ill effects and in fetching marginally higher profits.