EFFECT OF GRADED DIETARY LEVELS OF YEAST CELL EXTRACTED NUCLEOTIDES (YEN) ON PERFORMANCE, GUT HEALTH AND IMMUNE STATUS OF COMMERCIAL BROILERS
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Date
2018-07
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KARNATAKA VETERINARY ANIMAL AND FISHERIES SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, BIDAR-585 401
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to study the effect of graded levels of yeast cell
extracted nucleotide (YEN) on performance, carcass characteristics, organometry, blood
biochemical profile and gut health of commercial broilers. Three hundred day-old straight
run commercial broiler chicks were distributed in to 30 replicates of 10 chicks. Basal diet
(control) T1 and the experimental diets were prepared by incorporating YEN @ 1, 2 and
3 % for pre-starter for 0-14 days (T2, T3 and T4), starter for 15-28 days (T5, T6 and T7)
and finisher phases for 29-42 days (T8, T9 and T10). The results revealed that feeding of
YEN at 2 and 3 per cent for 28 days and 42 days resulted in significant (P≤0.05)
improvement in body weight, feed intake, FCR and survivability. Improvement in
immune organ weight and antibody titre against Newcastle disease was observed only in
birds fed YEN up to 28 and 42 days as compared to control and 14 days. The carcass
traits and visceral organ weight were significantly (P≤0.05) influenced by feeding birds
with 2 and 3 per cent YEN upto 28 and 42 days. Feeding of birds with graded levels of
YEN for entire 42 days significantly (P≤0.05) improved the gut pH, intestinal thickness,
villi height and crypt depth of intestine compared to that of control. The inclusion of
YEN at different levels till 42 days significantly (P≤0.05) decreased the load of E. coli
and improved the load of Lactobacillus in the intestine. The feeding of 2 and 3 per cent
YEN up to 28 days was more economical compared to other levels of inclusion of YEN
for different period. It was concluded that the dietary inclusion of YEN at 2 and 3 per
cent for 28 and 42 days was beneficial in improving growth performance, gut health and
immune performance in commercial broilers.