Evaluation of turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) breeder hen and market male performances when fed diets supplemented with a yeast culture containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• Main Author: Bradley, Gary L.
• Other Authors: Savage, Thomas F.
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Turkeys > Feeding and feeds; Yeast as feed; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35453

Studies investigating the effects of feeding diets containing the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (SCB), and a yeast culture (YC) containing S. cerevisiae were conducted in market turkeys and Medium White turkey breeder hens. Increased utilization of dietary gross energy, N, Ca, P, B, K, Mg, and Mn were observed in poults fed a diet containing 1% YC when compared to the control and 1% inactivated YC diets at 4 weeks of age (WOA). It was concluded that the YC must be "biologically active" in order to affect nutrient retention in poults. Feeding day-old poults diets containing varying amounts of SCB resulted in increased body weights at 3 WOA. Greater body weights and a decrease in the number of mucous-secreting goblet cells per mm of villus height and a decreased crypt depth were observed in poults receiving .02% SCB from 3 to 5 WOA. No dietary differences were observed for either villus height or width. Results indicated that feeding SCB to poults increased body weight and altered gut morphology. Experiments conducted to evaluate the effects of .25% YC on market male turkey performance resulted in contradictory responses. Supplemental YC increased body weights of turkeys at 5, 8, 11, and 14 WOA in one trial, while no differences and depressed body weights from 2 through 17 WOA were observed in two subsequent trials, respectively. Similarly, feed to gain ratios were improved from day-old to 5 WOA in one trial, while no differences and a higher feed to gain ratio was observed from 2 to 5 WOA in the second and third trials, respectively. Results indicated that unelucidated factors may influence the response of market male turkeys fed dietary YC. Consistent results have been observed in two trials on the hatchability of fertile eggs (HFE) from hens of three genetic lines fed .5% dietary YC. Early embryonic mortality (0-10 d of incubation) was reduced when hens were supplemented with YC and the HFE was increased in eggs stored less than 9 days in select hen genotypes. Results indicated that the breeder hen's genotype and pre-incubation storage time are factors to be considered when evaluating a YC in turkey breeder hen diets. === Graduation date: 1994