Abstract

The current study aimed to determine the influence of a 10:1 mixture of D. guineense bark meal and S. cerevisiae (DBSC) on carcass characteristics, visceral organ weight, and gut morphology of broilers. A total of 180, one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly distributed into three equal treatments with 5 replicates of twelve broiler chickens per pen. Each treatment was allotted to basal diets [starter (1–28 days) and finisher (29–56 days)] supplemented with DBSC designated DBSC (0 g/kg feed), DBSC (0.5 g/kg feed), and DBSC (1.0 g/kg feed) in a completely randomized design. Results show that DBSC supplementation increased (P < 0.05) de-feathered and live weights. Conversely, DBSC supplementation supported dressed percentage in broilers. In comparison with the control group, broilers in the 0.5 g/kg feed group had increased visceral fat weight and reduced thigh weight. Proventriculus weight decreased with increasing supplementation levels of DBSC in the feed. Dietary DBSC inclusion had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the weights of the liver, kidney, heart, and kidney of broilers. The gut morphological parameters of broilers given DBSC supplemented diets were not significant (P > 0.05). Incorporating DBSC up to1.0 g/kg supported carcass yield, visceral organ and gut morphometric development in broilers had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on live body weight. Therefore, DBSC up to1.0 g/kg can improve carcass yield, aspects of visceral organ weight and gut morphometry in broilers and could be utilised as a valuable feed supplement.