The Roles of Probiotics in Enhancing Poultry Health and Productivity: A Review

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when fed to poultry in an acceptable amount, provide health benefits. As an alternative to the utilization of antibiotic growth promoters, the utilization of probiotics is increasing rapidly in the poultry industry, with significant growth, productivity, immunity, and gut health. This review elaborates on the common probiotic strains, their mechanism of action, and effects on growth rate, immune system, and heat stress alleviation in poultry. An efficient probiotic is characterized by its ability to exert a beneficial effect on a host, resistance to low pH, non-pathogenicity to the host, and the capacity to produce antimicrobial substances against pathogenic microorganisms. Probiotics have several health benefits, with increased growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, weight gain, and carcass quality by promoting lean muscle growth. However, the efficiency of probiotics depends on the dosage, administration techniques, and atmospheric conditions of poultry houses. Utilizing probiotics is an effective method of controlling microbial populations, pH, and gut control in poultry, so the practices of probiotics will be an efficient solution as an alternative to antibiotics. Future research should focus on probiotics use and encourage farmers to utilize probiotics for growth and production.