Effect of Bacillus subtilis (DSM 17299) on performance, digestibility, intestine morphology, and pH in broiler chickens

This study investigated the effect of supplementation of a Bacillus subtilis strain DSM 17299 on broilers, including evaluation of performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, and content pH. The treatments also were evaluated for economic value based on performance and dietary costs. Performance was improved for probiotic treated birds for wk one through 5 post hatch, and economic evaluation at wk 6 demonstrated that the addition of the probiotic reduced production costs. Total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and apparent metabolizable energy were improved in probiotic supplemented broiler chickens. Addition of the probiotic increased the pH of the intestinal content. The relative weight and relative length of the duodenum decreased by probiotic supplementation. Overall, B. subtilis DSM 17299 resulted in an improvement in performance and a decrease in production costs when fed to broiler chickens. The increases in nutrient digestibility of birds fed the B. subtilis DSM 17299 correlate well with the increased performance noted over the same growing periods.