Growth Performance, Feed Efficiency, and Survivability of Dual-Purpose Noiler Chickens fed diet containing Probiotic Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) under Tropical Production Conditions
The sustainability of poultry production in developing countries is increasingly constrained by rising feed costs and the need for antibiotic-free growth promotion strategies. Probiotic supplementation has emerged as a promising nutritional intervention to improve gut health, nutrient utilisation, and flock resilience. However, limited empirical data exist regarding the response of Noiler chickens, a dual-purpose hybrid widely adopted in Nigeria, to probiotic yeast supplementation. This study evaluated the effects of graded dietary levels of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth performance, feed utilisation, and survivability of Noiler chickens under humid tropical conditions. A total of 300 day-old mixed-sex Noiler chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments in a completely randomised design, with three replicates of 20 birds each. The treatments consisted of a control diet (0% yeast) and diets supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% S. cerevisiae. Birds were reared for 16 weeks under standard management practices. Growth indices, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality, and livability were evaluated. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA, and treatment means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test at P < 0.05. Dietary supplementation with S. cerevisiae did not significantly affect final body weight, total weight gain, average daily gain, feed intake, or FCR (P > 0.05). However, numerical improvements were observed at 0.5% and 2.0% inclusion levels, with birds in the 0.5% group recording the highest final body weight (2200 g) and average daily gain (20.45 g/bird/day). The best feed conversion ratio (0.90) was obtained at 2.0% inclusion. Mortality and livability were significantly influenced by dietary treatments (P < 0.05), with the 2.0% supplementation group recording the lowest mortality (5.00%) and highest livability (95.00%). These findings suggest that while S. cerevisiae supplementation exerted limited growth-promoting effects under nutritionally adequate diets, higher inclusion levels improved flock survivability and overall robustness. The results indicate that S. cerevisiae may function more effectively as a health-supporting and resilience-enhancing feed additive rather than a direct growth promoter in Noiler chickens. Inclusion at 2.0% is recommended to enhance survivability without compromising performance, particularly in smallholder and semi-intensive tropical production systems. This study provides evidence-based guidance for integrating probiotic yeast into sustainable and antibiotic-reduction poultry nutrition strategies in emerging economies.
Keywords: Growth Performance, Feed Efficiency, Survivability, Dual-Purpose, Noiler
