The effects of feeding of broiler chicks with different pre-starter diets on growth performance, histological parameters and microorganism content of small intestine

This study was planned to examine the effects of feeding 2 different pre-starter diets to broiler chicks at 2 different times on the growth performance, carcass parameters, histological parameters of the small intestine and the microorganism content of the ileum.A total of 600 day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 5 treatments with 5 replicates of 24 chicks each.The experimental diets were SD10: corn-soybean meal-based starter diet for 0-10 days; 1PSD5: the first pre-starter diet for 0-5 days, 5-10. day SD; 1PSD10: the first pre-starterdiet for 0-10 days; 2PSD5: the second pre-starterdiet for 0-5 days, 5-10. day SD; 2PSD10: the second pre-starter diet for 0-10 days.Feeding of broiler chicks with the 1PSD5, 1PSD10, 2PSD5 and 2PSD10 diets significantly increased the body weight at the end of the experiment and body weight gain of broilers during the 0-42 day period, but significantly decreased the feed intake and improved the feed conversion ratio of broilers during the period of 0-42 days compared to the SD10 diet.Especially, feeding with 2PSD5 diet significantly reduced the feed intake and improved the feed conversion ratio of broilers during the 0-42 day period compared to feeding with 1PSD5, 1PSD10 and 2PSD10 diets. The 1PSD5, 1PSD10, 2PSD5 ve 2PSD10 diets significantly reduced the relative weight of gizzard of broiler on day 42 compared to the SD10 diet. Feeding with the 2PSD5 and 2PSD diets significantly increased the hot- and cold carsass yields of broilers at the end of the experiment compared to the other diets.1PSD5, 1PSD10, 2PSD5 ve 2PSD10 diets significantly increased the villus height and villus surface area, but significantly decreased the crypt depth of duodenum, jejenum and ileum of broilers on day 42 compared to the SD10 diet. The experimental diets did not significantly affect the ileum E. coli content of broiler chickens on the 10th and 42nd days and the ileum lactobacillus content on the 42nd day of the experiment. However, feeding of the broiler chickens with 1PSD5, 1PSD10, 2PSD5 and 2PSD10 diets significantly increased the ileum lactobacillus content of broiler chickens on the 10th day of the experiment compared to feeding with the BR10 diet.As a result; it is seen that it is sufficient to feed broiler chicks with corn-soybean meal or rice-soybean meal based pre-starter diets containing enzyme and probiotic + prebiotic mixture until the 5th day in terms of all parameters examined in the experiment. When the pre-starter diets given to the broiler chicks until the 5th day are compared among themselves, rice-soybean meal based pre-starter diet containing enzyme and probiotic+prebiotic mixture can be preferred first.