Study on Use of Oligosaccharides Based Prebiotics as Potential Alternative to Antibiotic Feed Additives in Kuroiler Chicken

Abstract

Poultry is one of the fastest growing segments of the agricultural sector in India today. While the production of agricultural crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 to 2 percent per annum, that of eggs and broilers has been rising at a rate of 8 to 10 percent per annum. As a result, India is now the world's fifth largest egg producer and the eighteenth largest producer of broilers. Poultry production forms an integral part of the economy with many socio-economic and cultural values attached to the birds in most developing countries including India.Traditionally, antibiotics have been widely utilized for improving growth performance in poultry; however, the word ‘antibiotic’ provokes a negative reaction from consumers and using antibiotics could also lead to the potential generation of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria, thus the routine supplementation of antibiotics into poultry feeds has become less prevalent over time Present investigation was conducted at Poultry Research and Training Centre, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (UP) to evaluate the growth performance, haemato- biochemical profile, carcass characteristics and production economics of Kuroiler chickens from January 24th, 2021- March 22nd, 2021. The results revealed that body weight increase significantly in 2nd to 5th weeks in CTC group and increase significantly in MOS group from 6th to 8th week of age. Overall (1d-56d) body weight gain was found to be significant (P<0.05) between the various dietary groups with maximum body weight gain (1655.47 g) in the dietary group supplemented with MOS. Supplementing oligosaccharides based prebiotics have no significant (P>0.05) differences on FCR during 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th weeks of age among all the dietary groups.. Weekly feed conversion were found to be non-significant (P>0.05) in all the age groups except for 1st and 2nd week. Similarly, non- significant (P>0.05) consequences of supplementing oligosaccharides based prebiotics on overall FCE were recorded in the present investigation. Protein efficiency ratio were Non-significant (P>0.05) for all the age group except during 1st 2nd and 4th week. During finisher phase (22d-56d) is concerned, no significant (P>0.05) variation due to supplementation of oligosaccharides based prebiotics feed intake, growth rate, FCR and FCE were recorded for all the treatments. Overall (1d-56 d) feed intake, FCR and FCE found to be non- significantly (P>0.05) affected by the supplementation of oligosaccharides based prebiotics between all the dietary groups whereas significant (P<0.05) effect of supplementation of oligosaccharides based prebiotics on growth in Kuroiler chickens was estimated for this phase. Feed cost per kg of live weight gain in Kuroilers showed significant (P<0.05) for 1st, 2nd and 4th weeks of age. Significant (P<0.05) effect of supplementation of oligosaccharides based prebiotics was observed for growth cost. Haemato-biochemical parameters were found to be non-significant (P>0.05) in all the dietary groups except cholesterol which was observed significant (P<0.05). Dressed yield and Dressing yield percent was found to be significantly (P<0.05) affected by the supplementation of oligosaccharides based prebiotics in the present study. Small intestine weight, length and density are are significantly affected by supplementation of oligosaccharides based prebiotics in dietary treatments. Thus it can be concluded that supplementation of oligosaccharides based prebiotics diet i.e. Mannan Oligosaccharide (MOS) had the positive effect of the growth of Kuroiler chicken without any detrimental effect on their health and productivity.