Performance, carcass quality and intestinal morphology of broilers, fed either raw or ‎fermented wheat, with Bacillus subtilis & Lactobacillus plantarum

This study was performed to compare ordinary wheat with fermented wheat using Bacillus subtilis & Lactobacillus plantarum, and the effect of replacing different levels of fermented wheat with corn grain on performance, carcass quality and jejunom morphology in broilers. A total of 280 broilers (Ross 308) in a completely randomized design wre assigned to 7 experimental groups with 4 replicates . The experimental diets included: control diet based on corn and soybean meal and six other diets containing 20%, 30% and 40% raw wheat grain instead of corn (W40 & W20, W30) or 20%, 30% and 40% fermented wheat instead of corn (FW30 and FW40, FW20). The results showed that fermented wheat grain at the level of 40% caused a significant increase in daily weight in the starter and growth periods (P<0.05). The fermentation process led to a decrease in phytic acid and an increase in the calcium and phosphorus numerically. Villi length in the FW40 treatment was significantly increased compared to that in the control treatment (P<0.05). Breast muscle in the FW40 treatment showed a significant increase (P<0.05), when compared to treatments FW30, W40, and control. In conclusion, the use of 40% of fermented wheat grains improves the feed conversion ratio and increases the percentage of breast muscle meat.