Growth performance and body composition of Eimeria-infected broiler fed berry pomaces and a Limosilactobacillus...

In the present study, a Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain isolated from chicken ceca alone or in combination with wild blueberry and American cranberry pomaces were evaluated for their effects on growth performance and body composition in Eimeria-infected broiler. A total of 480 day-old Cobb500 male broilers were placed into 60 cages allocated to 8 treatments: T1: non-infected (NI); T2: Eimeria-infected (EI); T3: EI + anticoccidials (125 mg/kg zoalene for D0-D28, 60 mg/kg salinomycin for D28-D35); T4: EI + 1 % blueberry pomace (BP); T5: EI + 1 % cranberry pomace (CP); T6: EI + 10⁸ CFU Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri); T7: EI + 1 % BP + L. reuteri; T8: EI + 1 % CP + L. reuteri. The EI was done by gavaging 2 × 10⁵ oocysts of mixed Eimeria species (E. acervulina, E. maxima and E. tenella). No significant differences were observed between treatments for body weight (BW) and average daily gain, however, berry pomaces reduced average daily feed intake (P < 0.05) and the combination of L. reuteri with berry pomaces reduced feed conversion ratio in broilers when compared to control EI birds (P < 0.05). Eimeria infection reduced both bone mineral content and density as well as fat content at D21 (P < 0.05). At D21, the lowest total fat masses (% of BW) were observed in T4, T5 (pomaces) and T3 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings indicate that berry pomace alone or in combination with the studied L. reuteri isolate may be beneficial for growth performance and body composition in the broiler grower and finisher phases.