COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC FEED ADDITIVES ON CHANGES IN DIGESTIVE ORGAN WEIGHTS AND PH PROFILE OF BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

Gut intestinal regulation and stability is directly correspondent to the pH of the internal organ of chicken, likewise the health status of the chicken can be measured based on the various metabolic and physiological function of different organs. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the effect of different (biotic additive) fermented Brassica oleracea, antibiotic and synthetic probiotic on gastrointestinal pH of broiler chickens. A total of (150) day old Broiler chickens were used. Experimental treatment consisted of five treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) which composed ordinary water, antibiotics, 200 mL Brassica oleracea, 400 mL Brassica oleracea per 1 liter of water and synthetic probiotic respectively) in a completely randomized design. Thirty birds were assigned to each treatment made of three replicates of ten birds. The birds were maintained on ad-libitum commercial feed (starter and finisher) diet for a period of six week. Samples were taken at week six by selecting two birds per replicate for pH determination of different organs. Data on the weight and different pH of the internal organs (crop, proventiculum, Gizzards, liver, Duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and caecum) were obtained after slaughtering at week 6 and subjected to one way analysis of variance. Result showed that broilers treated with 200 mL and 400mLs/liter of water were able to maintain the right pH for all the normal digestive processes at different digestive organs taken into consideration. Hence, this study concluded that the application of Brassica oleracea at 200ml and 400 ml of inclusion levels improves the pH of the gastrointestinal tract of broilers chicken and the synthetic probiotic lower the acidity of the proventriculus.