Probiotic Supplementation in Broiler Diets: Effects on Growth Performance, Gut Microbiota and Feed Efficiency
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Abstract
Introduction: Probiotics represent the most extensively investigated strategy for maintaining broiler performance under antibiotic-free conditions. The present study aimed to quantify the effects of dietary probiotic supplementation on body weight gain, average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed intake, intestinal morphology, gut microbiota composition, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in broiler chickens.
Materials and methods: Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched, yielding 1,728 unique records after deduplication. Multi-stage systematic screening identified 26 original experimental studies with extractable full-text numerical data meeting all pre-specified inclusion criteria. Studies were classified according to probiotic genus, including Bacillus spp., Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Enterococcus faecium, Clostridium butyricum, strain complexity, dose, and feeding duration.
Results: Probiotic supplementation consistently improved growth performance, as documented by all 26 studies. The pooled weighted mean differences (WMDs) for FCR was −0.076 across 14 studies, indicating a mean 4.9% reduction in FCR compared with groups that received only a basal diet without probiotics. Pooled WMD for ADG was +3.85 g/d in eight studies. Villus height was significantly increased in all six studies that reported morphological data, yielding a pooled WMD of +253.6 μm. One study found that a compound probiotic containing Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium, and Pediococcus acidilactici significantly increased final body weight from 2,422.50 ± 19.08 g to 2,589.41 ± 13.10 g, accompanied by concurrent increases in cecal butyrate and propionate levels. In a separate study, Bacillus subtilis supplementation significantly increased villus height from 800.93 to 1,423.10 μm at 28 days of age in Cobb broiler chickens. Across six studies reporting microbiota data and four reporting SCFA outcomes, probiotics consistently increased Lactobacillus abundance, reduced Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens counts, and elevated SCFA concentrations.
Conclusion: Dietary probiotic supplementation significantly improved FCR, ADG, villus height, and gut microbiota balance in broiler chickens. Bacillus-based and compound multi-strain formulations demonstrated the strongest and most consistent effects in broiler chickens.
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