The effect of substituting local de-hulled sunflower meal instead of soybean meal with or without the addition of the probiotic on the productive and physiological performance of broiler chicks

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Poultry Research farm of the Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture and Forestry/University of Mosul,with the aim of studying the effect of replacing local de-hulled sunflower meal with soybean meal with or without the addition of the probiotic on the productive and physiological performance of broiler chickens. To do this,a total of 360 unsexed (Ross-308) one-day-old broiler chicks were used, randomly distributed in a two-factor experiment (4×2) into eight feeding treatments, in each treatment three replications, a rate of 15 chicks for each replicator, homogeneous in weight, and for a rearing period that lasted 42  days of age, during which they were fed at four levels (0,33,66, and 100%) of de-hulled sunflower meal protein with or without the addition of the probiotic. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the control treatment and the partial replacement treatment (33% Dh-SFM) in live body weight, feed conversion factor, carcass characteristics, microbial content, or gut morphology. while increasing the level of substitution to 66 and 100% led to a significant deterioration(P≤0.05). in all these traits. The results of the interaction showed that the partial replacement treatment (33% Dh-SFM with the probiotic) was significantly superior (P≤0.05) to the negative control treatment in live body weight, weight gains, production index, intestinal content of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus), and villus height. While the results showed significant deterioration in the partial and total substitution treatments (66 and 100%Dh-SFM with or without probiotic) in all these traits.