The Effects of Different Sources and Levels of Prebiotics on Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens

The present study aims to investigate the effects of different sources and levels of prebiotics (Aspergillus Meal, Mannan Oligosaccharide) in broiler chickens diets on the growth performance such as feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion and carcass composition such as the percent by weight of edible and inedible parts on the basis of bird’s live weight. At the beginning of the study 280 day-old male broiler chickens Ross 308 were allocated to seven treatments and four replications in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were 1) 0%, 2) 0.10% AM in the starter period and 0.05% in the grower-finisher period, 3) 0.20% AM in the starter period and 0.10% in the grower-finisher period, 4) 0.30% AM in the starter period and 0.15% in the grower- finisher period, 5) 0.10% MOS in the starter period and 0.05% in the grower-finisher period, 6) 0.20% MOS in the starter period and 0.10% in the grower-finisher period and 7) 0.30% MOS in the starter period and 0.15% in the grower-finisher period. Sources of AM prebiotics had higher feed consumption than Sources of MOS prebiotics in the starter period (P<0.05). AM prebiotics had higher weight gain than MOS prebiotics in the finisher period (P<0.05). AM prebiotics had a better feed conversion than MOS prebiotics in the finisher period (P<0.05). The prebiotics levels and sources of prebiotics did not influence the percentages of net carcass, intestines, breast and thighs but MOS prebiotics had a higher level of liver percent than AM prebiotics (P<0.05). Control treatments had a lower abdominal fat than other treatments (P<0.05). On the whole, Sources of AM prebiotics, showed a better performance than sources of MOS prebiotics.