Soodabeh Parhizkar - Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
Mojtaba Zaghari - Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
Mehdi Zhandi - Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

The worldwide application of antibiotic growth promotors in the last decades in animal production at least partly contributed to the global pool of multiantibiotic-resistant bacteria causing hardly treatable and severe human but also veterinarian infectious diseases. These circumstances prompted the development of alternative strategies to replace antibiotic growth promotors without losses in animal performance. Among other feed additives, health-beneficial live microorganisms (often designated as probiotics or gut microbiota stabilizers) became promising parts of such alternative approaches. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Bacillus coagulans DSM ۳۲۰۱۶ (۱×۱۰۹ CFU/kg of diet) on the performance of broiler breeder (Arbor Acres). Broiler breeder hens (Arbor Acres; n=۲۴۰) at the age of ۲۲ weeks were randomly allocated to ۱ of ۲ dietary treatments with ۱۲ replicates of ۱۰ birds each, in a completely randomized design. Supplementation of the diet with Bacillus coagulans DSM ۳۲۰۱۶ increased the number of produced eggs, the number of produced settable eggs, egg yolk weight and eggshell thickness (P≤۰.۰۵). The probiotic supplementation reduced the mortality rate, enhanced egg hatchability, and increased the egg production-based economic profit. Thus, Bacillus coagulans DSM ۳۲۰۱۶ can be considered as performance-enhancing zootechnical feed additive for broiler breeders.

Bacillus coagulans, laying performance, poultry, probiotic