EFFECTS OF DIETARY PEA SEEDS (Pisum sativum L. cv. Tudor) ON PERFORMANCE, CARCASS TRAITS, PLASMA BIOCHEMISTRY AND INTESTINAL MICROFLORA IN BROILER CHICKS

The effects of dietary partial replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with peas (cv. Tudor), on performance, carcass traits, plasma biochemistry and intestinal microflora in broiler chicks, was assessed. One-day-old broilers (n=400) divided in 2 groups were fed 2 isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets: control diet (C) based on corn-sorghum-SBM and experimental diet (PT) that contained 200 g/kg peas (cv. Tudor). Results shown that PT addition significantly affect performance, BWG of broilers was higher in starter (13.23%; P<0.0001), finisher (3.21%; P=0.014) and overall period (4.28%; P<0.0001); FI was increased with 7.54% (P=0.005) in starter, 0.89% (P=0.001) in finisher, respectively 1.19% (P=0.043) in overall period vs. C diet. The FCR was decreased in finisher (P=0.024) and total period (P<0.0001) in PT group. Feeding PT did not affect the carcass yields but increased breast yield (P=0.038), and a tendency to increase the legs yield and to decrease the abdominal fat was observed. Plasma total protein content was higher in PT group (P=0.045). Digestive organs weight, length of the intestinal tract and intestinal pH of broilers were not affected by feeding PT diet. No differences were found in the ileal population of Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli among treatments, except the counts of Lactobacillus spp. that increased (5.83%; P<0.0001) in PT group. In conclusion, dietary peas (cv. Tudor), in the amount of 200 g/kg, as partial replacement for SBM, improve performance and carcass traits, has a positive effect on plasma total protein and alter ileal microflora by increasing Lactobacillus spp.