EFFECT OF PREBIOTIC AND BUTYRIC ACID IN EGG ON THE PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENTS DIGESTIBILITY OF THE DIET AND BIOMETRY OF THE GASTOINTESTINAL TRACT OF CHICKS UNDER FASTING

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance, digestibility of nutrients of the diet and biometry of the gastrointestinal tract of chicks from eggs inoculated with prebiotic or butyric acid, submitted to water and food fasting. The fertile eggs were inoculated with a solution containing prebiotic (experiment I) or water (placebo group), in the allantoic sac on the 16th day of the incubation. In experiment II, the fertile eggs were inoculated with water (placebo group) or organic acid (sodium butyrate). After hatching, 200 chicks were selected and classified by weight and distributed according to the treatments in battery cages. A randomized complete block design in 2x2 factorial scheme (inoculants x fasting time) was used, totaling four treatments and 10 replicates. The fasting times evaluated were eight (control group) and 36 hours after hatching. The inoculation of butyric acid did not affect the performance of chicks and nutrients digestibility, but the gastrointestinal biometry was increased (P<0.05). The prebiotc reduced the weight gain (P<0.05) and affected neither the nutrients digestibility nor the gastrointestinal biometry.  The inoculation in the eggs did not harm the initial weight of the chicks as well as there was no interaction between the inoculant and the fasting time. The supplementation with prebiotic or butyric acid neither improved the performance of chicks until ten days of age nor the nutrients digestibility of the diet, irrespective if the chicks were under fasting or not. However, the butyric acid enhanced the gastrointestinal tract development. 

KEYWORDS: Broilers, inoculated eggs, manano, nutrients digestibility, organic acid.