EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF POSTBIOTIC AND EGG YOLK POWDER ON THE CARCASS TRAITS AND INTERNAL ORGANS OF BROILER CHICKENS

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of postbiotic and egg yolk powder on the carcass traits of broiler chickens. A total of 320 straight-run one-day-old chicks were procured and randomly allocated to four experiment groups for 40 days; each experiment group was replicated four times with 20 chicks per replicate. The experiment groups were as follows: control (C), 0.3% postbiotic (PB), 3.5% egg yolk powder (EYP), and their combination (0.3%PB +3.5% EYP). The results of the study revealed that the treated groups exhibited significantly (P<0.05) improved carcass traits and internal organs weight. Significantly higher live weight, hot carcass weight, cold carcass, and dressing percentage were recorded in the treatment groups of PB+ EYP, EYP, and PB, while the lowest values were recorded in the control group. With respect to internal organs’ weight, the PB+ EYP group significantly improved the weight of the liver, kidney, and intestine, followed by EYP and PB groups, with the lowest values recorded in the control group. Spleen weight was significantly higher in the treated groups than in the control group. While the weight of the heart, pancreas, proventriculus, and bursa of Fabricius remained unaffected. It can be concluded that the supplementation of postbiotic (0.3%) and egg yok powder (3.5%) alone or in combination can enhance the carcass traits and internal organs weight of broiler chickens. However, the combination of postbiotic (0.3%) and egg yok powder (3.5%) showed superior results for carcass traits and internal organs weight.