Hajati H - Center of Excellence in the Animal Sciences Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Hassanabadi A - Center of Excellence in the Animal Sciences Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Teimouri Yansari A - Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran.

In this experiment, the influence of prebiotic and probiotic supplementation in the broiler breeder diets on body weight, mortality, feed intake, egg production, hatchability and humoral immunity response was investigated. A total number of 13140 female and 1260 male breeders (Cobb 500) with 26 wks of age were allocated to three treatments with six replicates (800 birds each replicate). Breeders were fed control basal diet, basal diet supplemented with prebiotic (mannan oligosaccharide) or probiotic (Protexin®) for 17 weeks. Body weight, feed intake and egg production were measured weekly during 26-40 wks of age. The hatchability of eggs was recorded on weeks 38, 39, and 40. Antibody production was recorded after 8 wks of prebiotic and probiotic supplementation. Prebiotic supplementation did not affect feed intake, the percentages of egg production and settable eggs percents. Prebiotic increased egg hatchability and reduced the percentages of infertile eggs, as well as dead embryo-in-shells. Antibody titers against influenza and reovirus were higher in prebiotic fed group, but there were no significant differences among the other blood antibody titers. Probiotic had no significant effect on the considered parameters. In conclusion, findings of present study showed that prebiotic improved egg hatchability and humoral immunity of broiler breeders.

Prebiotic, Probiotic, Immunity, Hatchability, Broiler breeder