EFFECT OF SODIUM BUTYRATE OR ESSENTIAL OILS ALONE OR IN COMBINATION ON PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS OF BROILERS

Since the ban of antimicrobials as growth promoters in 2006, several alternatives like feed additives have been used. Among those, short-chain fatty acids, including butyric acid and its salts, and essential oils (EEOO) have been used alone as health and performance boosters in poultry production. 

In this context, in the monthly WPC webinars 2021, Norel has presented the last trial to evaluate the effect of sodium butyrate, EEOO and their combination on broilers performance. A total of 3000 one day old chicks were distributed in 5 treatments (n=6).

The treatments were: T1, Control feed without additives nor antibiotics; T2, Control feed with antibiotics; T3, GUSTOR N’RGY (1 Kg/t of feed); T4, EO-Fit Poultry (1Kg/t),; and T5, Combination of GUSTOR N’RGY (0.75 Kg/t) + EO-Fit Poultry (0.25 kg/t).

Performance parameters were recorded weekly. On day 21 and 35, one bird in each treatment was euthanized for carcass and intestinal analysis. There were significant differences in body weight at 21 days, being the animals in T4 the heaviest (997g a, 1018g ab, 1017g ab, 1020g b and 1001g ab, for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively, P=0.028). At 35d, although differences were not significant, animals in T3 and T5 were heavier than the others (2173, 2155, 2188, 2175, 2199, for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5).

The accumulated mortality at 35 days showed also significant differences among treatments (4%a, 6.2%b, 6.0%b, 4.8%ab, 3.0%a, for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, P=0.006). Those differences were also reflected in the EPEF where the combination of the additives achieved the highest EPEF (416xy, 387x, 421xy, 398x, 434y, for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, P=0.061).

On the other hand, there were no significant differences in carcass weights. At 21d, the length of jejunum and large intestine was longer for T3 followed by T5 (P=0.012 and P<0.001, respectively). At 35d, no differences were found. Both feed additives, GUSTOR N’RGY and EO-FIT POULTRY, and their synergistic combination, have demonstrated improvements on performance, even better results than treatment with antibiotics, that could be partially explained by the better development of the gut in the early stages of life.