Efficacy of probiotics in intensively reared Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) chicks

GRI L.; MARTELLA M.B.; NAVARRO J.L.

EUROPEAN POULTRY SCIENCE

Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart

Año: 2008 p. 136 - 139

0003-9098

The efficiency of probiotics was studied through theiradministration with the feed to intensively reared Greaterrheas from birth to three months of age. Efficiency wasevaluated in terms of increase in survival and growth rates,compared with chicks that received an untreated diet.Although the groups treated with probiotics had slightlyhigher survival rates than the control group, the differenceswere not significant. Mean total survival rate was60.7%. No significant differences were observed in growthrate among groups. Mean total growth rate for a Gompertzgrowth curve with 25.6 kg of asymptote was 0.0057323 ±0.0002738 (S.E.). It is concluded that none of the probioticsadministered with the feed enhanced survival orgrowth of Greater rhea chicks.