Table 7 Impacts of prebiotics with or without heat stress on the body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broilers.

From: Prophylactic influences of prebiotics on gut microbiome and immune response of heat-stressed broiler chickens

Time

Groups

Body weight (g)

Weight gain (g)

Feed intake (g)

FCR

Week 1

Control

185 ± 2.88a

146 ± 2.88a

163.3 ± 12.81

1.117 ± 0.06

Prebiotics

187 ± 2.79b

148 ± 2.79b

159.2 ± 9.33

1.074 ± 0.04

Week 2

Control

523 ± 9.66a

338 ± 6.77a

420.5 ± 18.58

1.243 ± 0.03a

Prebiotics

534 ± 8.59b

347 ± 5.79b

426.4 ± 16.81

1.228 ± 0.02b

Week 3

Control

1089 ± 12.88a

566 ± 3.21a

734.3 ± 34.42a

1.297 ± 0.05a

Prebiotics

1064 ± 12.03b

530 ± 3.43b

682.4 ± 32.3b

1.287 ± 0.05b

Week 4

Control

1831 ± 15.46

742 ± 2.57a

1047 ± 51.39

1.41 ± 0.06

Prebiotics

1785 ± 15.03

721 ± 3.00b

1049 ± 58.6

1.455 ± 0.07

Heat stress

1763 ± 18.25

674 ± 5.36c

949 ± 65.53

1.407 ± 0.08

Heat stress prebiotics

1759 ± 10.74

695 ± 1.28d

1008 ± 51.67

1.45 ± 0.07

Week 5

Control

2450 ± 19.05a

619 ± 4.04a

1278 ± 61.2

2.063 ± 0.08

Prebiotics

2340 ± 12.7b

555 ± 2.3b

1126 ± 31.47

2.029 ± 0.06

Heat stress

2250 ± 23.62c

487 ± 5.36c

1121 ± 64.63

2.300 ± 0.1

Heat stress prebiotics

2287 ± 17.18b,c

527.8 ± 6.64d

1064 ± 52.65

2.013 ± 0.07

Final (cumulative day 1–35)

Control

–

2411.00 ± 19.06a

3642 ± 178.1

1.51 ± 0.06

Prebiotics

–

2301.00 ± 21.36b

3443 ± 148.4

1.496 ± 0.05

Heat stress

–

2211.00 ± 23.67c

3389 ± 196

1.531 ± 0.07

Heat stress prebiotics

–

2260.00 ± 21.07b,c

3340 ± 163.1

1.485 ± 0.06

  1. Each value represents mean ± S.E. Significant difference between groups in body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and FCR was analyzed by t-test in weeks 1, 2 and 3, and one-way ANOVA in weeks 4 and 5 at p ≤ 0.05.
  2. Parameters in the same column followed by different superscript letters are significantly different (p ≤ 0.05).