Volume 12, Issue 26, July - December 2026

Modulatory effects of fermented maize supernatant as an organic liquid feed additive on the growth performance, intestinal microflora ecology, carcass yield, and meat sensory profile of broiler chickens

Alagbe John Olujimi^1,2♦

¹Department of Animal Science, Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, Nigeria
²Department of Animal Nutrition and Biochemistry, Gandhi College of Agriculture, Rajasthan India

^♦Corresponding author
Alagbe John Olujimi, Department of Animal Science, Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, Nigeria / Department of Animal Nutrition and Biochemistry, Gandhi College of Agriculture, Rajasthan India

ABSTRACT

The global pressure to eliminate synthetic Antibiotic Growth Promoters due to antimicrobial resistance has accelerated the search for sustainable, natural alternatives. This study evaluated the modulatory effects of fermented maize supernatant (FMS) as an organic liquid feed additive on the growth performance, intestinal microflora ecology, carcass yield, and meat sensory profile of broiler chickens. A total of two hundred and fifty one- day-old chicks (Hubbard) were randomly assigned to five treatments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with each treatment comprising five replicates of ten birds each. The birds were reared in environmentally controlled deep litter pens for 42 days. Treatment 1 (T1, negative control) received a basal diet and un-supplemented drinking water; T2 (positive control) received the basal diet with the synthetic antibiotic neomycin at 20 g/L of water; while T3, T4, and T5 received the basal diet supplemented with FMS via drinking water at 10, 20, and 30 mL/L, respectively. The results demonstrated that growth performance indices, including cumulative feed intake, final body weight, and average daily gain, were significantly highest (P<0.05) in the FMS-supplemented groups (T3–T5), intermediate in T2, and lowest in T1. Conversely, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly lower (P<0.05) in T3–T5 than in the control groups. Microbiological profiling of intestinal flora revealed that beneficial Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) populations were maximized in T3–T5, while pathogenic Salmonella spp, Streptococcus spp and Escherichia coli counts were significantly suppressed through competitive exclusion and organic acidification. Furthermore, birds in T3–T5 exhibited the highest dressing percentages, superior primal cut weights (breast, back and thigh), and sensory evaluation scores for juiciness, tenderness, and flavor profile. In conclusion, spontaneous fermentation of maize supernatant creates a probiotic and acidifier environment. The addition of up to 30 mL/L of fermented maize supernatant (FMS) resulted in an enhanced gastrointestinal (GI) status associated with increased nutrient content in broiler chickens without any observed side effects, making it a promising alternative for organic production without the addition of antibiotics.

Keywords: Fermentation, byproducts, growth, performance, feed efficiency, Chemical residues

Discovery Agriculture, 2026, 12, e19da3227

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Published: 16 August 2026