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Effect of Lactose as a Prebiotic on Turkey Body Weight Under Commercial Conditions

Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701

Correspondence: ⁵ Corresponding author: bhargis{at}uark.edu

The effect of a commercially available lactic acid bacteria probiotic (FM-B11) alone and supplemented with lactose as prebiotic was evaluated for effects on turkey BW during the brooding and growout phases under commercial conditions in 2 experiments. Tag-numbered turkey poults were given the probiotic in either drinking water or feed, and lactose was given in feed. Turkeys were reared in wire pens (4 per treatment) within the brooding house. Experiments were designed for a duration of 26 and 28 d. Only animals from experiment 1 were weighed again before slaughter. Results from both experiments indicate that groups treated with the combination of probiotic and lactose and lactose alone were heavier (P < 0.05) by 15.5 and 17.5% in experiments 1 and 2, respectively, as compared with the control groups. Market BW of turkeys from experiment 1 was higher (P < 0.05) with the combination of probiotic and lactose than the control group by 436 g. Turkeys on the probiotic alone tended to be heavier than the controls (P = 0.0693). The administration of this lactic acid bacteria-based probiotic, supplemented with lactose as prebiotic to turkey poults during the brooding phase, increased BW, and this advantage was further maintained or augmented during the growout phase.

Key Words: prebiotic • lactose • turkey poult • performance

¹ Current address: Cobb-Vantress Inc., P.O. Box 1030, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.

² Current address: Sigrah Zellet de Mexico S. A. de C. V. Mariano Escobedo No. 10, Col. Tezontepec, Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico 62250.

³ Current address: Tyson Foods Inc., 2210 W. Oaklawn Dr., Springdale, AR 72762.

⁴ Current address: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, POSC 0-303, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701.