This research
evaluated the effect of the addition of a spent mushroom substrate (SMS) Pleurotus sajor caju
at different levels on the performance of broiler chicks from 1 to 21, 22 to 38 and 1 to 38
days of age. Five hundred one-day-old Ross-308 chicks were utilized, allocated in a
completely randomized design, with five treatments obtained by increased levels of
compost on ration (0; 0.5; 1.0; 1.5 and 2.0%), with four replicates of 20 birds per
experimental unit. The intake, weight gain, feed conversion, carcass yield, abdominal fat
and villus height were evaluated. No effect was observed on intake and feed conversion
when the compost was included in the feeding. A positive effect was observed for weight
gain from 1 to 21 days of age, with maximum value of 0.67% of SMS, but its addition did
not modify the carcass yield and abdominal fat, but modified the villus height. The
inclusion of the spent substrate of Pleurotus sajor caju mushroom up to 0.67% improves
the weight gain of broiler chicks in the first 21 days of age.