EFFECTS OF OMEGA-3 AND PROBIOTIC-SUPPLEMENTED ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKS

Abstract

: This research was conducted out at Jerash University farm in Jordan, 2020. The aim was to evaluate the effect of some feed additives, two levels of Omega-3 (5 kg/ton) [T1], (10 kg/ton) [T2] and (Probiotics with exogenous enzymes mixture, 1 kg/ton) [T3], and commercial feed [T4] on growth performance and carcass parameters during 16-35 days of age. A hundred forty and four birds at sixteen days old Hubbard chicks were distributed randomly into four treatments. Each treatment included 3 replicates, each of 12 chicks. Live body weight (Wt) at 28-day-old, T1 had a higher than the T4. Weight gain (WG) was significantly differed among treatments, as it exceeded the T1 during the fourth week and the T4 during the fifth week. Feed consumption (FC) significantly differed among treatments; T4 had the least FC during the third and fourth weeks while T3 had the least FC values during the fourth and fifth weeks. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significant among treatments during the fifth week, with T2, T3, and T4 values being significantly lower. WG and FCR were non-significant, while FC and mortality were significant between treatments, with T3 being the lowest over the entire period (16-35 days). Carcass characteristics were not significant except for dressing ratio and spleen weight which was lower at T1 and T3, respectively. The research findings indicated that Probiotics with exogenous enzymes could decrease FC without affecting the final body weight of Hubbard broiler chickens under the conditions of production in Jordan.