Effect of Antibiotic and its Alternatives on Morphometric Characteristics, Mineral Content and Bone Strength of Tibia in Ross Broiler Chickens

4 Abstract: An experiment was conducted using 360 one-day old male Ross (308) broiler chickens to study the effect of dietary supplementation of antibiotic alternatives growth promoters on morphometric characteristics, mineral content and bone strength of tibia. Chickens were fed in a completely randomized design with 4 replicate. Experimental treatments were: 1) control, 2) control + 15 ppm of Virginiamycin antibiotic, 3) control +150 m/kg of probiotic, 4) control + 100 mg/kg of Immnuwall prebiotic, 5) control + 450 mg/kg of commercial herbal blend and 6) control + 400 mg/kg of organic acid. Results showed that diaphysis diameter was not affected by the dietary supplementation of growth promoter components, whereas weight, length, tibiotarsi index, thickness of the medial and lateral wall of the tibia, tibiotarsal index, mechanical parameters, ash percentage, Ca and P contents were significantly improved by the supplementation antibiotic and their alternatives (P<0.05). Control diet had greater medullary canal diameter of the tibia than other groups. These data indicated that supplementation broiler diet with antibiotic and its alternative such as prebiotic, probiotic, commercial herbal blend and organic acid could improve bone characteristic.