Influence of essential oils blend, probiotic and flavomycin on performance, gastrointestinal tract characteristics and blood parameters of broiler chickens

The effect of essential oils blend, probiotic and flavomycin on performance, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) characteristics, cecal microbial population and blood parameters was studied with 288 day-old chickens, Ross 308 broilers from 1 to 42 days of age in a completely randomized design by 4 treatments, 4 replicates and 18 chickens in each replication. The experimental treatments were: 1) basal diet as control group (without additive), 2) basal diet + 150 mg/kg essential oils blend, 3) basal diet + 200 mg/kg Gallipro® probiotic, and 4) basal diet + 150 mg/kg flavomycin. The results showed that feed intake was lower in the control group than other treatments (P<0.05). In the whole trial period, the weight gain of chickens fed with the diet containing flavomycin was higher than other birds and had a better feed conversion ratio than control birds or fed with the diet contains probiotic (P<0.05). The effect of treatments was not significant on relative weight of internal organs, pH of the GIT digesta and Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli population in the ceca. The relative weight of the breast was greater in chickens fed with flavomycin than control group or birds that received essential oils blend (P<0.05). There was no difference between treatments in terms of plasma cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride concentrations, but HDL concentration was lower in the plasma of birds receiving flavomycin compared to other treatments (P<0.05). Based on the results of this study, adding essential oils blend to the diet improved performance and can be used as a growth promoter instead of flavomycin in broilers diet.