Abstract
A total of 500 days-old Ross chicks with an average live weight of 53 g were used p to evaluate the effects of (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) backer yeast (BY) with or without Oxytetracycline (OTC) on the performance and nutrient digestibility of growing broiler chicks given contaminated aflatoxin (AFB1) basal diet. Birds were equally divided into five dietary treatment groups. Each group had 100 birds in five replicates (cages) and was assigned to one of the five dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design experiment. Treatments consisted of a control group maize-soybean meal basal diet and four test groups with aflatoxin AFB1(1% of moldy rice), AFB1 + baker yeast BY (0.003g/kg), AFB1+OTC ( 2.4g/Kg), and AFB1+BY+OTC respectively. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Supplementation of BY and OTC or both BY+OTC was not statistically significant on feed intake between treatments during the 42 days experiment however, feed intake tended to be the lowest for the control group. Baker yeast and oxytetracycline added to the aflatoxin-containing diet significantly improved gain body weight; feed conversion ratio and digestibility of protein, fat and nitrogen-free extract efficiency, no significant differences were observed for fiber digestibility. Results of this research revealed that baker yeast as well oxytetracycline added to the aflatoxin containing diet improved the performance as well the digestibility of nutrients in broiler chickens. In general, The principal finding from this research is that the baker yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) added to the aflatoxin contaminated diet in broiler diets could significantly relieve the negative effect of AFB1 on chicken's production performance and nutrient digestibility.