An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of using different growth promoters on the metabolism of growing broilers. We evaluated two diets, one meeting the nutritional requirements of broilers (normal) and another reduced diet with 5% less than the nutritional requirement (reduced), supplemented or not with antibiotics and prebiotics. A total of 180 broiler chicks reared in shed masonry and wood shaving bedding until 21 days of age. The animals were divided into 36 cages and distributed in a completely randomized design, using a traditional method of excreta collection. There was an interaction (P<0.05) between diet and growth promoters for ileal digestibility coefficient of dry matter (IDCDM), crude protein (IDCCP) and ether extract (IDCEE). The reduced diet containing antibiotics had lower IDCDM. The normal diet containing antibiotic had higher IDCCP (P<0.05), whereas the reduced diet containing prebiotic showed better IDCCP and IDCEE (P<0.05). The values of total digestibility coefficient of dry matter (TDCDM), crude protein (TDCCP) and ether extract (TDCEE) showed interaction (P<0.05) between diets and growth promoters, where the reduced diet containing antibiotics had lower TDCDM and TDCEE. A normal diet had higher apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and AME corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) (P<0.05). It was concluded that when the nutritional requirement of diet was reduced, the nutrients digestibility was also reduced, however essential oils caused an increase in ileal digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and ether extract.
essential oils; additives; fructooligosaccharide