Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXII, Issue 1
Written by Petru Alexandru VLAICU, Tatiana Dumitra PANAITE, Cristina TABUC, Cristina SOICA, Iulian STANEL
The present study was designed to evaluate if the use of a blend of commercial oils (BCO) obtained from different plants could affect growth performance and intestinal microflora of the gut in growing-finishing broiler chickens. A total of 80 Cobb 500, 14-day-old broiler chickens, with initial body weight 360 ±0.38g, were assigned to two groups, basal diet (C) and the basal diet supplemented (E) with 0.50% BCO. Throughout the entire feeding period (14-42 days), there were significant differences (P<0.05) in final body weight, daily weight gain, and for daily feed consumption (35- 42days), for group C compared with BCO. At 35 and 42 days, respectively, 6 chicks/group were slaughtered and samples of caecal and intestinal contents were collected for bacteriological examination. Weights of digestive organs including the liver, gizzard, intestine and pH from cecum and intestine were not affected by the dietary treatment. The colony forming units (CFU) of Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus spp. in the digesta of caecum in the BCO group showed a significantly (P≤0.05) lower number compared with that in the C group. The CFU of Staphylococcus spp. in intestine was significantly (P≤0.05) lower in BCO group compared with C. Salmonella was absent in all cases. The inclusion of 0.5% BCO in the chicken's diet (14-42 days) it has reduced the proliferation of pathogen bacteria and has stimulated the increase of favourable bacteria like Lactobacillus spp. in the intestine and cecum of BCO group.
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