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Original Research
6.
A comparison between the effects of a probiotic
and an antibiotic on the performance of desi
chickens -
M Y Amer and S H Khan
Vet World. 2012; 5(3): 160-165
doi:
10.5455/vetworld.201
2.160-165
Abstract
A study was conducted to compare probiotic with
antibiotic, using drinking water supplemented with
Biovet and TNF-60. The 8-days old Desi chicks were
randomly divided into 9 separate floor pens each
comprising 75 birds and three pens (replicates)
per treatment group following completely
randomized design. At the end of 6 weeks trial,
body weight (BW) and feed to gain ratio (FCR) were
determined. At the end of experiment, serum
cholesterol was determined. The BW of birds given
antibiotic and probiotic was significantly greater
than control. Similarly, better FCR was observed
in birds those given drinking water with
antibiotic and probiotic. There was less mortality
recorded with probiotic treatment. Cholesterol
contents were reduced significantly in probiotic
supplemented group as compared to antibiotic and
control groups. It may be concluded that
performance in Desi birds could be maintained when
supplementing probiotic incorporated in broiler's
drinking water. The supplementation of probiotic
may lead to the development of low-cholesterol
chicken meat as demanded by health-conscious
consumers. Probiotic may be replaced with the
antibiotic to avoid its residual effects on birds
as well as human health.
Keywords: Desi
chickens, antibiotic, probiotic, body weight gain,
cholesterol
