Prebiotics and probiotics used alone or in combination and effects on pullet growth and intestinal microbiology

A study was conducted examining the effects of prebiotics and probiotics separately and in combination on growth parameters, fecal and cecal microbiota. Six dietary treatments consisted of: 1) control, 2) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 1 x 10(10) Pediococcus acidilactici/kg, 3) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 2 x 10(10) live Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii/kg, 4) control + 2 lb/ton yeast cell wall extract (YCWE), 5) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 1 x 10(10) /kg Pediococcus acidilactici/kg and + 2 lb/ton YCWE, and 6) control + 0.2 lb/ton calculated to contain 2 x 10(10)/kg live Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii/kg + 2 lb/ton YCWE. Dietary treatments had 10 replicates during the brooder phase; 6 replicates from grower phase through conclusion of the study. Bovan white pullets were utilized for the study. There was not a significant difference between treatments for feed intake, body weight, body weight gain or feed conversion. There were no significant differences between treatments for Salmonella enteritidis presence or fecal counts of E. coli, coliform, and Salmonella spp. Cecal E. coli and coliform counts were not affected by treatment. There was a significant treatment by time effect for Enterobacteriaceae cecal counts. Enterobacteriaceae counts increased at 16 wk of age and decreased through the study for all treatments, except for YCWE. The addition of prebiotics and probiotics, individually or in combination, did not significantly improve growth or alter the potentially pathogenic bacteria microbiology of feces or ceca in pullet chicks.