Abstract
Introduction: Inefficient poultry production has been a serious challenge due to poor performance and scarcity of feed resources, which necessitate the exploration of alternatives. This study was conducted to assess the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) as a supplemental protein and growth promoter in different cereal-based diets on growth performance, serum biochemistry, characteristics of digesta, and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens.
Materials and methods: A total of 324 day-old broiler chickens, comprising of mix sexes with an average weight of 45.36 ± 0.73, were randomly assigned to nine treatments, each consisting of three replicates with 12 birds per replicate. Three diets were formulated, each incorporating maize, sorghum, and wheat. The diets varied in the SC inclusion at levels of 0%, 5%, and 0.2% oxytetracycline (used as a growth promoter). The inclusion of oxytetracycline was to simulate the practice of in-feed antibiotics growth promoter, whereas yeast served as supplemental protein and growth promoter. Titanium dioxide was included in the feed at 0.2% on day 21 of the experiment to help estimate nutrient digestibility.
Results: Weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly lower in the groups fed sorghum with and without yeast. The groups fed maize with SC and oxytetracycline had the lowest blood glucose. Maize and sorghum without SC had the highest pH values. Protein digestibility was the lowest in the group fed sorghum with SC and wheat without SC.
Conclusion: Individual cereal diets performed competitively, supplementation of SC in different cereal-based diets did not influence their contribution and performance of the chickens. The inclusion of 5% SC reduced protein digestibility. Oxytetracycline yeast as a supplemental protein and growth promoter did not improve the performance of the chicks.