Effects of Bacillus coagulans supplementation on the growth performance and gut health of broiler chickens with Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis

Table 3 Effect of Bacillus coagulans on growth performance of broiler chickens infected with NE

Items	NE^d	Feed intake, g/d				Body weight gain, g/d				FCR^c
Items	NE^d	d 1–14	d 15–21	d 22–28	d 29–42	d 1–14	d 15–21	d 22–28	d 29–42	d 1–14	d 15–21	d 22–28	d 29–42
Bacillus coagulans, mg/kg
0	–	347.1	536.2	655.4	2475.0	266.7	316.5	363.0	1344.8	1.30	1.70	1.82	1.84
0	+	358.7	550.3	610.9	2472.0	264.8	316.0	325.6	1341.9	1.36	1.74	1.88	1.85
400	–	346.7	535.2	660.5	2532.0	274.1	341.8	377.2	1431.7	1.27	1.57	1.76	1.77
400	+	345.2	545.8	631.1	2553.0	267.2	339.0	363.9	1398.8	1.29	1.61	1.74	1.83
SEM^e		3.96	3.95	7.01	27.71	2.91	3.93	7.53	16.74	0.016	0.018	0.034	0.016
Main effect
400		346.0	540.5	645.8	2542.5	270.6	340.4^a	370.6	1415.2	1.28	1.59^b	1.75	1.80
0		352.9	543.3	633.1	2473.5	265.8	316.2^b	344.3	1343.4	1.33	1.72^a	1.85	1.84
Challenged		351.9	548.1	621.0^b	2512.5	266.0	327.4	344.7^b	1370.3	1.32	1.68	1.81	1.84
Non-challenged		346.9	535.7	658.0^a	2503.5	270.4	329.1	370.1^a	1388.2	1.29	1.63	1.79	1.81
P-values^f
Bacillus coagulans		0.402	0.731	0.385	0.237	0.417	0.010	0.036	0.053	0.151	0.004	0.153	0.197
Challenged		0.537	0.142	0.022	0.874	0.460	0.835	0.038	0.603	0.246	0.269	0.771	0.381
Challenged × Bacillus coagulans		0.426	0.831	0.600	0.832	0.670	0.889	0.043	0.662	0.673	0.947	0.587	0.463

^a,bMeans within the same column with different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05)
^cFCR = feed conversion ratio = g of feed intake / g of BW gain, g/g
^dNE = Co-challenged with Eimeria spp. and Clostridium perfringens; −, without NE challenge; +, with NE challenge
^eSEM, standard error of the mean
^fP-values represent the main effect of the diet, the main effect of NE challenge, and the interaction between the dietary treatments and NE challenge

ISSN: 2049-1891