Effect of Organic Acid Treated Diets Fed During Finisher Phase on Gut Microbiota and Blood Profile of Broiler Chickens-Juniper Publishers
JUNIPER PUBLISHERS - OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL OF DAIRY & VETERINARY SCIENCES Abstract An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of organic acid treated diets fed during finisher phase on haematology, serum chemistry, gut pH, digesta viscosity and gut microbiology of broiler chickens. The organic acids were acetic, butyric, citric and formic acids. One hundred and fifty (150) day old Abor-Acre chicks were used. There were five dietary treatments. Diet 1 which served as control contained no organic acid, while diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively contained 0.25% acetic, butyric, and citric and formic acids respectively. Each treatment was replicated three times with 10 birds per replicate, arranged in completely randomized design (CRD). The experiment lasted for 4 weeks. Feed and water were given ad libitum. Mean corpuscular volume was reduced by formic acid while other hematological parameters were not significantly (P>0.05) altered. The organic acids did not alt...