title: Use of organic acids and competitive exclusion product as an alternative to antibiotic as a growth promoter in the raising of commercial turkeys.
abstract: A study was conducted to investigate the effects of organic acids (OA) and competitive exclusion product (CE) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and concentration of volatile fatty acids in the cecal content. The experiment lasted for 10 wk. Four hundred twenty 1-d-old female commercial cross turkey poults (British United Turkeys, BUT Big 9) were distributed into 4 treatments with 5 replicates/pen of 21 birds each. The birds were fed a basal diet without growth promoter (control), diet with lincomycin (44 mg/kg), diet with organic acids (2 g/kg), and diet with product of CE (10(9) cfu/kg). Dietary levels of other nutrients, housing, and general management practices were similar for all treatments. On the first week (d 0-7), the BW and BW gain of the birds that fed diets with OA were lower than in the control group. In the fattening phase (d 28-70), the feed intake of the OA-treated group was lower than compared with the control. The birds that received diet with OA and CE product presented higher concentrations of propionic acid, at 14 d, and butyric acid in cecal content at 28, 56, and 70 d, compared with the control. Dietary inclusion of additives had no significant effects on intestinal villus height, crypt depth, and villus:crypt ratio. Organic acids had negative effects either on early gain or feed intake throughout the study. Because the test was conducted under controlled experimental conditions, the additives that showed results similar to those found by using antibiotics should be studied further in commercial farms to obtain results that can be incorporated into practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinics, and emilbradt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Milbradt
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinics, and.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinics, and.
authors.forename: J C Z
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry (FMVZ), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil 18618-970.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry (FMVZ), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil 18618-970.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanfelice
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry (FMVZ), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil 18618-970.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Centenaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinics, and.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Andreatti Filho
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*; D014422:Turkeys / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile
keywords: antimicrobial drug; organic acid; performance; turkey