Growth Performance, Gut Health, Welfare and Qualitative Behavior Characteristics of Broilers Fed Diets Supplemented with Dried Common ( Olea europaea ) Olive Pulp

Anna Dedousi (), Charalampos Kotzamanidis, Maria-Zoi Kritsa, Antiopi Tsoureki, Aggeliki Andreadelli, Sotiris I. Patsios and Evangelia Sossidou
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Anna Dedousi: Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization DIMITRA, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Charalampos Kotzamanidis: Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization DIMITRA, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria-Zoi Kritsa: Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization DIMITRA, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Antiopi Tsoureki: Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 6th km Charilaou-Thermi Road, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Aggeliki Andreadelli: Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 6th km Charilaou-Thermi Road, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Sotiris I. Patsios: Laboratory of Natural Resources and Renewable Energies, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Evangelia Sossidou: Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization DIMITRA, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: The present study investigated the dietary impact of dried olive pulp (OP) on growth performance, gut health and some welfare and behavior characteristics of broilers. It was conducted in a commercial poultry farm using 108 13 day-old Ross male broilers. Chickens were equally and randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments, CON, OP3 and OP6, based on the incorporation rate of OP in the ration (0%, 3%, and 6%, respectively). A beneficial impact on foot pad dermatitis (FPD) and feather cleanliness of OP-fed broilers was recorded. No adverse effects on qualitative behavior characteristics evaluated and on the overall growth performance of chickens were observed. No significant differences in the fecal microbiota population were observed among the groups. Changes of β-diversity in an age-dependent way were only observed. The feces of chickens across all age and dietary groups were mainly dominated by the phylum Firmicutes (62.3 to 95.1%), mainly represented by the genus Lactobacillus (32.9 to 78.2%), Proteobacteria (2.0 to 35.6%), and Actinobacteria (1.5 to 11.4%). Supplementing broilers’ diets with 3% and 6% OP beneficially affected chickens’ health and welfare without compromising their growth performance and gut health.

Keywords: olive pulp; broilers; growth performance; gut health; welfare (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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