Effects of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate on intestinal microbiota of yellow-feather broilers

We evaluated the effects of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate (CPH) on the intestinal microbiota of yellow-feather broilers. We randomly divided 240 chicks into four groups with six replicates: basal diet with 0% (CON), 1% (LCPH), 3% (MCPH), or 5% (HCPH) CPH. The test lasted 63 days and included days 1–21, 22–42, and 43–63 phases. The ACE, Chao1, and Shannon indices in the MCPH and HCPH groups of 42-day-old broilers were higher than those in the CON group (p