Table 5.

The effects of using kefir, yogurt, and probiotic on gut microbial population in male and female broiler chickens at 25 and 42 d.

Traits	Treatments
	Control	Probiotic	2  %	4  %	2  %	4  %	SEM${}^{*}$	$P$ value
		PrimaLac	yogurt	yogurt	kefir	kefir
Male gut microbial population at 25 d
Coliform bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	4.08${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	3.44${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	4.15${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	3.76${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	4.13${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	3.79${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	0.15	0.0176
Lactobacillus (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	5.06${}^{\mathrm{c}}$	6.02${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	5.36${}^{\mathrm{cb}}$	5.87${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	5.02${}^{\mathrm{c}}$	6.03${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	0.14	0.0001
Total bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	6.66	5.77	6.29	5.97	6.09	5.46	0.30	0.1448
Female gut microbial population at 25 d
Coliform bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	4.19${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	3.54${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	4.12${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	3.51${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	3.97${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	3.53${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	0.15	0.0077
Lactobacillus (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	5.17${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	6.06${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	5.61${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	6.01${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	5.82${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	6.09${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	0.16	0.0157
Total bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	6.25	6.12	6.14	6.08	6.11	6.06	0.17	0.9823
Male gut microbial population at 42 d
Coliform bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	6.20${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	5.59${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	6.47${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	5.75${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	6.14${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	5.08${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	0.28	0.0313
Lactobacillus (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	5.93${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	7.05${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	5.84${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	6.58${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	6.23${}^{ab}$	7.09${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	0.22	0.0022
Total bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	7.27	6.47	6.85	6.40	7.09	6.53	0.55	0.8296
Female gut microbial population at 42 d
Coliform bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	5.98${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	5.08${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	5.80${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	5.23${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	5.92${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	5.17${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	0.06	0.0001
Lactobacillus (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	6.73${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	7.09${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	6.81${}^{\mathrm{ab}}$	7.11${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	6.73${}^{\mathrm{b}}$	7.12${}^{\mathrm{a}}$	0.07	0.0025
Total bacteria (log CFU g${}^{-\mathrm{1}}$)	7.07	6.51	6.98	6.01	6.96	6.77	0.37	0.3679

${}^{\mathrm{a},\mathrm{b},\mathrm{c}}$ Means in rows with same superscript do not differ significantly ($P\mathit{<}\mathrm{0.05}$). ${}^{*}$ SEM: standard error of means.