Effect of in ovo administration of different synbiotics on carcass and meat quality traits in broiler chickens

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the effect of in ovo synbiotic administration on slaughter performance and meat quality traits of broiler chickens. On day 12 of incubation, 5,850 eggs (Cobb 500 FF) were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups and automatically injected in ovo with physiological saline (control, C) and 2 different synbiotic formulations (SYN1: Lactobacillus salivarius + galactooligosaccharides; SYN2: Lactobacillus plantarum + raffinose family oligosaccharides). After hatching, 240 males were randomly chosen (80 chicks per group) and split into 8 replicate pens (10 birds per pen). At 42 d of age, 15 birds per treatment were weighed and slaughtered. In ovo synbiotic administration had a low effect on investigated traits, but depends on the kind of synbiotic administered. Both synbiotic formulations did not affect final BW, weight, and yield of carcass and pectoral muscle (PM); likewise, physicochemical properties (pH, color, water holding capacity), intramuscular collagen properties, and cholesterol content of PM were not affected by treatment. Synbiotic administration reduced (P = 0.061) the lipid content compared with C group, markedly (P