The effects of feed supplemented with Agaricus bisporus on health and performance of fattening broilers

Enteric infectious diseases are the most common cause of loss in intensive production of poultry. The possible risk to human health because of the use and/or misuse of antibiotics in food for farm animals has led to an intensive search for alternative strategies in the control and prevention of losses in poultry production. The aim of this study was to compare the bacterial validity of standard poultry feed with feed supplemented with mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Furthermore, we monitored the effect of Agaricus bisporus on the number of Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in rectal swabs of broilers. The study was performed on ninety broilers, randomly divided into three groups: the control group fed with a standard broiler diet and two groups fed with the standard diet supplemented with Agaricus bisporus (10 g/kg or 20 g/kg). The results of this study showed the microbiological suitability of feed supplemented with mushrooms, together with its beneficial effect on production and the health of the animals. The differences in body mass gain were not significant between the three experimental groups, and higher average diarrhoea severity (ADS) was recorded in the control broilers (0.34), whereas the two treated groups had much lower ADS (0 or 0.08). Addition of Agaricus bisporus in a concentration of 20 g/kg lowered the total number of Escherichia colt and Enterobacteriaceae in rectal swabs and significantly increased the number of Lactobacillus spp.