Effect of medium chain Triglycerides on growth performance and microflora count on broiler chickens

This experiment was conducted at the Poultry Unit of Faculty of Agriculture, University Putra Malaysia for two weeks to determine the effect of giving the Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) on the growth performance and the number of microflora count in the starter broiler chicken. Initial body weight, final weight, average weight gain, feed intake ratio and mortality were used to determine growth performance while the concentration of enterobacteriacae and lactic acid concentration were used to determine the number of microflora count. Results showed that the highest MCT concentration had significant influence (p<0.05) the final body weight, diet (TS) had the highest final body weight of 488.0 g compared with the control (Tl-0%), 466.9 g. In addition, the results showed significant different (p<0.05) for average daily gain. TS diet had the highest average daily gain of 31.42 g comparing with Tl, 30.08 g diet control. As for food intake, the feed conversion ratio and mortality rate showed no significant different (p<0.05), Tl diet had the highest intake of 534.7 g compared with T2, 513.7 g. While Tl has the highest feed conversion ratio of 1.271 compared with TS, 1.199. For the percentage of deaths among diets is 0%. For the results of the microflora count parameter show significant different (p<0.05), T2 has the highest value of 5.96 ± 0.03 Log CFU/g compared to diet TS, 4.82 ± 0.10 Log CFU/g for Enterobacteriacae concentration. T4 has the highest value in lactic acid bacteria concentration of 8.40 ± 0.01 Log CFU/g compared to Tl, 7.83 ± 0.05. In conclusion, supplementing 0.8% MCT in starter commercial diet significantly (p<0.05) increase final body weight, average daily gain and lactic acid bacteria count and significantly (p<0.05) decrease enterobacteriacae bacteria count in starter broiler chicken. However, the MCT (0.2-0.8%) in the diet significantly did not significantly (p