The Use of Probiotic Containing Lactic Acid Bacteria to the Rescue of Antibiotics in Broiler Production

The research was aimed to study the effect of Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantenrun and Weissalla ciberia on growth performance, feed conversion ratio and mortality of broiler chicken. This was design to find a possible alternative to antibiotics in broiler production. The study was carried out at the Department of microbiology, faculty of sciences Kaduna State University, Kaduna between January to April 2018. A total of ten raw milk samples were screened for the isolation of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and twenty day-old broiler chicks (initial body weight 41 ± 0.5 g) were administered probiotics (Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantenrun and Weissalla ciberia) in water at 108 cells/milliliters/isolates/birds/day for six weeks. Body Weight (BW), Weight Gain (WG) and Feed Intake (FI) were measured weekly just as feed conversion ratio was calculated and mortality was recorded throughout the duration of the experiment. The results showed the identification of Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantenrun and Weissalla ciberia that were used as probiotics. Significant differences was observe between treatment on BW at day 14 P=0.0292 WG, P=0.0004 and FI P=0.0176, day 21 P=0.0329, WG P=0.0004 and FI P=0.0176, day 28 P=0.0025, WG P=0.0053 and FI P=0.0189, day 42 WG P=0.0112 and FI P=0.0006 and day 49 BW P=0.011, WG P=0.5289 and FI P=0.0006. Probiotics group showed a better body weight and weight gain with a lower feed intake and highest feed conversion ratio compared with antibiotic and control group. There was a progressive increase in weight gain from the first to the fourth but decreases from week five and six. The LAB group recorded 5%, mortality rate, antibiotics group recorded 10% and the control group recorded 0%. Probiotic lactic acid bacteria showed promising tendencies to replace antibiotics in broiler production as illustrated in this research work.