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A total of 288 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allotted into four dietary treatments: (1) Control (CON; corn–wheat–soybean-based diet), (2) CON + 0.05% bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD), (3) CON + 0.3% red osier dogwood extract (ROD), and (4) CON + 2.5% grape pomace (GP) and raised for 28 days. On days 21–27, birds were exposed to either a thermoneutral (TN; 24 ± 1 °C) or heat stress (HS; 32–34 °C for 8 h/day) environment. On day 28, 12 male birds per treatment/temperature group were euthanized for measuring blood and intestinal health parameters. 0.05% BMD and 0.3% ROD inclusion improved (P ≤ 0.05) the average body weight gain and feed conversion ratio, compared to CON. HS reduced (P ≤ 0.05) average feed intake, bursa and spleen weights, plasma alanine transferase, lipase, and creatinine kinase but increased (P ≤ 0.05) alanine phosphatase and serum immunoglobulins compared to TN birds. HS further reduced (P ≤ 0.05) duodenal villus height (VH):crypt depth (CD), jejunal VH, and VH:CD but this was reversed by ROD and GP, and 0.05% BMD and 2.5% GP increased (P < 0.001) the relative abundance of Blautia and Sellimonas compared to the CON diet. ROD increased (P = 0.010) the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium compared to the BMD diet. The results suggest that 0.3% ROD extract may function as an alternative to antibiotics in improving broiler growth performance and intestinal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the effects of a microencapsulated complex of biofactors and antioxidants (P(BF + AOx)) on growth and health status of broiler chickens challenged with cold stress. Day-old broilers were allotted to four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two dietary treatments: (1) Control (CON; corn–wheat–soybean-based) and (2) CON + 0.015% P(BF + AOx), and two thermal treatments: (1) Thermoneutral (TN; 29 °C ± 1 on days 8–10, 54 h) and (2) Cold stress (CS; 20 °C on days 8–10, 54 h). Treatments were allocated to six replicates, with eight chicks/replicate. Growth performance was measured weekly from days 0–21. On day 14, two birds/cage were euthanized. Cold stress reduced (P < 0.05) total antioxidant capacity (TAC), serum IgM, jejunal villus height (VH), villus width (VW), and VH:crypt depth (VH:CD). Irrespective of CS, P(BF + AOx) improved (P < 0.05) feed intake (631 vs. 592 g/bird), body weight (BW) (383 vs. 349 g/bird), BW gain (337 vs. 301 g/bird) up to day 14, and plasma TAC. Regardless of the challenge model, P(BF + AOx) increased (P < 0.05) duodenal VW, VH:CD, jejunal, and ileal VH:CD, and the relative abundance of cecal Intestinimonas and Colidextribacteria, compared to the CON. In conclusion, CS altered broiler blood parameters and gut morphology, but 0.015% P(BF + AOx) improved early life growth performance, TAC, and gut health, irrespective of CS, suggesting that it could be an effective strategy to support overall health and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]