The extensive uses of antibiotics in animal farms to
promote growth rate, increasing feed efficiency and
prevention of intestinal infections have led to the
development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the
gastrointestinal tract and drug residuals in meat. The use of
probiotics in order to competitively exclude the
colonization of intestinal pathogens has been proposed for
poultry, specially after some countries banned certain
antibiotics being frequently included in rations as growth
promoters. Probiotics are defined as viable microorganisms
(bacteria or yeasts) that exhibit a beneficial effect on the
health of the host when they are ingested (Salminen et al.,
1998).
Salmonellaand campylobacter(jejuni) have often been
considered responsible for human gastroenteritis and
poultry have often been implicated as source of these
human infections.
Intestinal colonization of salmonella, campylobacter
and coliformsin the chickens play a role in carcasses
contamination at slaughter, thus, reducing salmonella,
campylobacterand coliformscolonization in chickens may
potentially reduce incidence of infections in humans.
Maruta et al. (1996) reported that administering probiotic
(Bacillus subtilis C - 3102) to chickens reduced the level
and incidence of campylobacter and salmonellain theintestinal tract of broilers, however, scanty information are
available on the aspects of poultry meat quality influenced
by probiotic feeding. The present study was conducted to
study the effect of probiotic feeding on performance,
microbiological status and carcass quality of broiler
chickens.