Effect of Adding Emulsifier to Diet Containing Different Levels of Energy on Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Gut Microbial Population and Ilium Digestibility in Broiler Chickens

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of lecithin emulsifier to diet containing different levels of energy on performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal microflora and nutrient digestibility of broiler chicken. A total of 200 day old broiler chicks (male sex) Ross 308 strain was divided in 4 treatments, 5 replicates and 10 chicks in each replicate in a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments include: diet containing soybean oil with standard energy, diet containing soybean oil with low energy, diet containing soybean oil with standard energy + emulsifier, diet containing soybean oil with low energy + emulsifier. The Results showed that in the case of weight gain throughout the period, the body weight of chickens increased with decreasing energy levels. Also in the case of weight gain in the final period and the whole period, with increasing the level of emulsifier, body weight decreased. Regarding the FCR, in the initial, and whole growth periods, increasing the emulsifier level increased the feed conversion ratio. No statistically significant effects were observed in other experimental traits and different breeding periods by changing the energy level and adding emulsifier (P>0.05). The percentage of thighs in diets with high energy level was higher than other treatments. But other carcass traits did not show any significant effect (P>0.05). No effect of treatments was observed on intestinal microbial population. The results related to digestibility showed that in the case of dry matter, organic matter and fat traits, digestion was reduced in standard diets containing emulsifier and no significant effects were observed in other traits (P>0.05). In general, it can be said that increasing energy levels caused weight loss and reduced nutrient digestion, and adding emulsifier caused weight loss, increased conversion ratio and reduced nutrient digestion.