Effect of supplementation of betaine hydrochloride on gut health in broilers

Abstract

An experiment was carried out using 120 day-old Cobb broiler chicks to evaluate the impact of betaine hydrochloride supplementation on gut health. The chicks were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments (T1 to T4), each consisting of three replicates with ten birds, and reared for 42 days. The control group (T1) received a basal diet formulated as per BIS (2007) [2] standards, whereas T2, T3, and T4 diets were supplemented with 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.25% betaine hydrochloride, respectively. The results indicated that dietary inclusion of betaine hydrochloride significantly enhanced villus height and crypt depth in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileocaecocolic junction. Additionally, it led to a reduction in Escherichia coli counts and an increase in Lactobacillus populations compared with the control group at the end of the trial. It was therefore concluded that betaine hydrochloride supplementation positively influences gut morphology and microbial balance in broiler chickens.