Drinking water supplemented with wood vinegar on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbial of broiler chickens

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Wood vinegar is a product generated from the combustion and distillation of wood and other plant materials. It has been shown to suppress bacteria, resulting in healthier livestock and increased yields. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of drinking water supplemented with wood vinegar on growth performance, intestinal health, and gut microbial of broilers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 120 Ross 308 1-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly distributed in a completely randomized experimental design. The study consisted of three treatments containing four replicates, with 10 birds in each. Treatments were given 0.5% and 1.0% (V/V) wood vinegar supplemented in drinking water, while no supplementation was given to the control group. The animals were raised in an open-house system. All groups were provided with a commercial diet and drinking water ad libitum. Analysis of variance was conducted using the general linear model procedure to compare the levels of wood vinegar supplementation in drinking water on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbial. RESULTS: No significant differences (p>0.05) were found for body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and water consumption between groups during the starter (1-21 days old), grower (22-35 days old), and whole (1-35 days old) growth periods. Moreover, no significant differences in villi height and crypt depth (p>0.05) at 21 and 35 days of age were found. In addition, no significant difference in terms of lactic acid bacteria and Escherichia coli was found between the different treatments. CONCLUSION: Drinking water supplemented with wood vinegar was not found to have an effect on the growth performance and gut microbial of broiler chickens in the present study. However, the supplementation of wood vinegar in drinking water could improve intestinal morphology.