Feeding Behavior, Growth Performance and Meat Quality Profile in Broiler Chickens Fed Multiple Levels of Xylooligosaccharides

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In recent years, after the use of antibiotic growth promoters was banned, scientists began to pay attention to new feed additives that can replace the use of antibiotics to improve the growth performance of animals and maintain good health. However, it is unclear whether feeding broiler chickens with different levels of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) affects the feeding behavior, thereby affecting broiler growth performance, and whether the addition of XOS has an effect on meat quality. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of XOS supplementation on feeding behavior, growth performance, slaughter performance, and meat quality in broiler chickens. ABSTRACT: A total of 240 1-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly distributed to 4 treatment groups with 6 replicates and 10 birds per replicate. Chickens were fed with corn-soybean meal diet supplementation with additions of 0, 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg XOS for 42 days. At 4 weeks of age, the average feeding time was reduced in the 450 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05), and the percentage of feeding time was increased in the 300 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05). At 5 weeks of age, broilers fed with 300 mg/kg XOS had increased the percentage of feeding time (p < 0.05), and 450 mg/kg XOS had increased the feeding frequency and percentage of feeding time (p < 0.05). At 6 weeks of age, the feeding frequency was highest in the 450 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05). During 4 to 6 weeks of age, the average feeding time was increased in 300 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05), the frequency was improved in the 450 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05), and the percentage of feeding time was longer in the XOS group than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The average daily gain was improved during days 22–42 and days 1–42 in the 150 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05). Broilers fed with 300 mg/kg XOS had an increased eviscerated rate (p < 0.05). The pH(45min) of breast muscle was highest in the 450 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05), as well as the pH(45min) and pH(24h) of thigh muscle, which improved in the 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg XOS groups (p < 0.05). In addition, the cooking loss of thigh muscle was reduced in the 300 mg/kg XOS group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with XOS had positive effects on the feeding behavior, growth performance, and meat quality of broiler chickens.