• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2009

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of cerium (Ce), a rare earth, individually and in combination with lanthanium (La), a rare earth, in the basal diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, bone composition, breast meat composition, carcass characteristics and meat color in broiler chicks. A total of 1,600 day-old broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments with four replicates in a completely randomized block design. Treatments were T1) CON (control diet), T2) 100 ppm Ce, T3) 100 ppm La, T4) 100 ppm Ce+100 ppm La. There were no significant differences in feed intake among dietary treatments during the whole experimental period (0 to 5 weeks). Body weight gain for the first three weeks was greater in birds T4 than birds fed T3 diet. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was better in birds fed T4 diet (p<0.05) than birds fed T3 diet during 0~3 weeks, and better FCR for 0~5 weeks was noticed in birds fed T4 diet than birds fed T1 diet. Nutrient digestibility was greatest in birds fed T3 diet (p<0.05) compared with other treatments. Bone composition, carcass characteristics and meat color were no statistically different among the treatments. These results suggest that Ce supplementation, alone and combination with La could improve performance of broilers.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.113-122
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus, medicinal plant extracts, and plant extracts on growth performance, cecal microflora, relative organ weight, and lymphocyte profile in broiler chickens. One hundred broilers (5 wk old) were used and divided into five (treatment) ${\times}$ two (challenged Salmonella) groups containing 10 broilers. The treatments were as follows: no antibiotics group (NC), antibiotics group (PC), 0.1% lactic acid bacteria group (LB), 100 ppm medicinal plant extract group (MPE), and 100 ppm herb extract group (HE). A basal diet was formulated as 3,100 kcal/kg ME and 20% CP based on corn and soybean meal. Broilers were fed with the experimental diets with no challenge for 1 wk and with challenge of SG for 2 wk. SG were added in water as $1.0{\times}10^6cfu/L$. Final body weight and weight gain were significantly decreased following challenge with SG (P<0.05). However, with the addition of antibiotic alternatives, growth performance was improved and reduction of performance following challenge with SG was lowed compared with that of the NC treatment (P<0.05). Coliform bacteria and Salmonella but not lactic acid bacteria increased with the addition of antibiotic alternatives (P<0.05). Lactobacillus increased significantly with the addition of lactic acid bacteria compared with the NC and PC treatments (P<0.05). The weight of liver, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius increased with addition of antibiotic alternatives (P<0.05). WBC was highly reduced at 4 days after challenge with SG, but was normally maintained thereafter. There was no significant difference in coliform bacteria, Salmonella, organ weights, or WBC with the addition of antibiotic alternatives. Finally, Lactobacillus, medicinal plant extract, and herb extract can be used as antibiotic alternatives; but one alternative completely can't alternate as antibiotics. Therefore, further studies are needed to investigate the synergistic effects of two or more antibiotic alternatives.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.819-828
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• 2007

Two experiments were conducted to observe the effects of direct fed microbials on metabolic characteristics in sheep and milking performance in dairy cows. A metabolic trial with four ruminally cannulated sheep(60±6kg) was conducted in a 4×4 Latin square design to investigate the supplementation effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clostridium butyricum or mixed microbes of S. cerevisiae and C. butyricum on ruminal fermentation characteristics and whole tract digestibility. Sheep were fed 1.25 kg of total mixed ration(TMR, DM basis) supplemented with S. cerevisiae (2.5g/day), C. butyricum (1.0g/day) or its mixture(S. cerevisiae 1.25g/day+C. butyricum 1g/day), twice daily in an equal volume. But control sheep were fed only TMR. A feeding trial with 28 lactating Holstein cattle was also conducted for 12 weeks to investigate the effects of the same microbial supplements as for the metabolic trial on milking performance. The cows were fed the TMR(control), and fed S. cerevisiae(50g/day), C. butyricum(15g/day) or its mixture (S. cerevisiae 25g/day + C. butyricum 7.5g/day) with upper layer dressing method. Total VFA concentration and the digestibility of whole digestive tract in the sheep increased by supplementation of S. cerevisiae, C. butyricum or their combined microbials compare to control group. The proportion of propionic acid at 1h(P<0.039) and 3h(P<0.022) decreased by supplementation of S. cerevisiae while tended to increase acetic acid proportion at the same times. Daily dry matter intake(DMI) was not influenced by the microbial treatments, but milk yield(P<0.031) and feed efficiency(milk yield/DMI, P<0.043) were higher for the cow received C. butyricum than those for other treatments. The milk fat content was higher (P<0.085) when cows fed S. cerevisiae(4.11%) than that fed the control (4.08%), the diets with C. butyricum (3.85%) and the microbial mixture. Based on the results obtained from the current experiments, supplementation of C. butyricum or mixture with S. cerevisiae might be increased milk fat content and milk productivity of lactating daily cows. (Key words:Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clostridium butyricum, Fermentation characteristics,