EFFECT OF HUMIC ACID, PROBIOTICS AND THEIR COMBINATION ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, IMMUNE RESPONSE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER

Abstract

The present study was conducted at the National Hatchery Research and development farm Dighulia, Tangail, The Poultry Farm for a period of four weeks using different level of dietary humic acid and probiotics in feed. The specific objectives of this study were under taken to determine the effect of different level of dietary humic acid and probiotics to assess alternative to antibiotics & production performance of broiler. A total of 195 day-old Lohmann meat broiler chicks were allocated randomly to five treatment groups with three replications having 13 broilers per replication. The experiment lasted for 4 weeks and the treatment of various groups consisted of group T 0 (Basal feed), T (Basal feed+0.05% HA), T 2 (Basal feed+0.10%HA), T 3 (Basal feed+0.02% Probiotics) and T (Basal feed+0.05% HA+0.02% Probiotics) respectively. The parameters evaluated in this study were body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, FCR, flock uniformity, survivability, carcass characteristics, caecal microbial count, immune parameter and BCR of broiler. Result demonstrated that the body weight (g) was not significantly different (P>0.05) higher in T 4 (1648.67±91.5) and lower in T 0 (1590.67

±48.32). The body weight gain (g) was not significantly different (P>0.05), however the higher value was found in T4 (1597.33±96.88) and lower value was in T 0 (1542.33±46.30) group. The higher feed consumption was found in T 4 and lower in T . The overall feed consumption of different treatment groups showed that there was non significant (P>0.05) effects on feed consumption. There was no significant (P>0.05) differences in FCR among treatments T 2 , T 1, T 2 , T 3 and T . However the better feed conversion ratio (FCR) was not significantly (P>0.05) observed in T 4 (1.32±0.00). Dressing percentage significantly (P<0.05) higher in T 4 (69.12

4 ±2.19) and lower in T (59.57±2.96). The weight (g) of thigh, wing and back in T 4 0 were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the other groups. But the weight (g) of drumstick in T was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the other treatment groups. The weight (g) of Liver was significantly higher (P<0.05) and Heart, Spleen and Gizzard in T 3

was not significantly higher (P>0.05) than the other groups. Flock uniformity (%) was higher in treated group T 4 (82.67±67) than others group including control group T . There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in flock uniformity (%). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in survivability rate (%). BCR is not significantly higher (P>0.05) in

1 0 4 0 4

treatment group T (1.29±0.02) than others groups. No. of E. coli colony (cfu/g) and no. of Salmonella sp. colony (cfu/g) were significantly lower (P<0.05) in treatment group T 4

than other groups. The above research was found that body weight (g), body weight gain (g), dressing percentage, weight (g) of liver, heart, spleen, gizzard, thigh, drumstick, back and survivability rate were better result in T than other groups. FCR and BCR were also found better in T 4 IX

4 (basal feed+0.05%HA+0.02% probiotic) group along with better performance was in humic acid and probiotics treated group. It was concluded that better result was found in T group than others groups. Therefore, the research recommended that broiler rearing with basal feed+0.05%HA+0.02%probiotics along with different level of humic acid and probiotics could be used on broiler production for better performance and profitability.