Abstract

Probiotics, recognized as a safe substitute for antibiotics in the animal industry, have been acknowledged for their growth-enhancing properties. This study assessed the impact of Enterococcus faecium strain NCIMB 11181 and diets incorporating Raw, Sprouted, and Fermented pearl millet on the performance, carcass traits, organ weights, and blood parameters of broiler chickens. In a randomized design, 120 one-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chickens were assigned to five groups: 1) No supplement, negative control (N-con); 2) Control + antibiotics, positive control (P-con); 3) Raw pearl millet + probiotics in drinking water (RPM + PRO); 4) Sprouted pearl millet + probiotics in drinking water (SPM+PRO); 5) Fermented pearl millet + probiotics in drinking water (FPM + PRO). Probiotic supplementation did not significantly impact body weight gain (BWG) but influenced feed intake (FI) (P<0.05). FPM+PRO increased feed conversion ratio (FCR), thigh yield, and drumstick yield. Thymus weight is reduced in the RPM+PRO and SPM+PRO groups compared to the control groups. Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels decreased (P<0.01) in the P-con and FPM+PRO groups. No treatment effect (P>0.05) was observed on hematological indices. Overall, pearl millet diets supplemented with probiotics demonstrated no adverse effects on the health status of broiler chickens, suggesting their potential as viable alternatives to antibiotics. © The Author(s) 2024