• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2003

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of yeast culture on the performance of broiler chicks and noxious gas emission in broiler houses. Two hundred forty and three hundred and twenty, one day old Cobb male broiler chicks in Expt 1 and Expt 2, respectively were alloted to four treatment levels of yeast culture (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4%). To each treatment, 60 birds were assigned in Expt 1 and 5 replicates of 16 birds each were assigned in Expt 2. Basal diets contained 21.5% and 19.0% CP, and 3,100kcal/kg ME for the starting and finishing periods, respectively. Ammonia and $CO_2$ gas emission were detected twice a day for seven days during the five week period of Expt 1. Weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency were measured for five weeks in Expt 2. Intestinal microbes, blood cholesterol and ND antibody titer were examined at the end of Expt 2. In Expt 1, the concentration of $NH_3$ in the house of birds fed yeast culture tended to be lower than the control. It was significantly lower in the 0.4% yeast culture treatment than the control (P<0.05). $CO_2$ concentration was significantly lower in all yeast culture treatments regardless of its dietary supplemental level than the control (P<0.05). different from others. Feed efficiency (feed/gain), however, was significantly improved in all yeast culture treatments relative to that of the control for starting period (P<0.05) and that of 0.2% yeast culture treatment was significantly lower than those of the control and 0.4% for the overall period. Total number of E. coli in the ileum of birds fed yeast culture at 0.1 and 0.2% was significantly lower than those of the control and 0.4% in the ileum. The CFU of Lactobacillus spp. of birds fed yeast culture at 0.1% was higher in the cecum compared to other treatments (P<0.05). Total cholesterol level of chicks fed 0.1% yeast culture seemed to be lower compared to that of other treatments, whereas LDL-cholesterol level was significantly lower than those of the control and 0.4% treatment. ND antibody titer tended to be higher in the yeast culture treatments than the control, but was not significantly different. The results of these experiments indicated that 0.2% yeast culture may have a potential to reduce the noxious gas emission in broiler houses and maximize the performance of broiler chicks.