Verify the effectiveness of various inclusions of butyrate on male broilers raised on used litter without antibiotics

SUMMARY: An experiment was conducted to verify the effectiveness of butyrate (BA) in diets of broiler chickens raised without antibiotics and exposed to used litter. Dietary treatments included: negative control (NC), a nonsupplemented diet on fresh shavings; positive control (PC), the same nonsupplemented diet on used litter; 500 BA, similar diet with 500 ppm BA on used litter; 1,000 BA, similar diet with 1,000 ppm BA on used litter; 500/250 BA, similar diet with 500 ppm BA from 0 to 8 d and 250 ppm BA from 8 to 42 d on used litter; 1,000/250 BA, similar diet with 1,000 ppm BA from 0 to 8 d and 250 ppm BA from 8 to 42 d on used litter. From 0 to 8 d, the PC resulted in a 6.8 g decrease in BW gain (BWG) compared to NC, but this response was lost from 0 to 25 d or 0 to 42 d. There were no differences in mortality corrected, FCR (FCRm) between PC and NC. All BA treatments increased BWG in comparison to PC from 0 to 8 d, with no differences from NC. Butyrate improved 0 to 8 d FCRm compared to both PC and NC (P ≤ 0.05), but these responses were lost over time (P > 0.05). Butyrate increased apparent ileal digestibility of energy and DM (P > 0.05). Butyrate had no effect on oocyst shedding compared to PC (P > 0.05). Butyrate was able to ameliorate the negative performance effects with reused litter over the 8-d starter period and was able to increase ileal digestibility of energy and DM.