Effect of Adding Grape Pomace into the Diet, Grape Pomace Extract and Vitamin E-Selenium into the Drinking Water on Growth Performance, Internal Organs' Weight, Cecum Bacterial Population and Prececal Nutrient Digestibility in British United Turkeys

This study aimed to use grape pomace and pomace extract to feed British United Turkey Big 6 (B.U.T.6) and compare its effect with vitamin E-selenium on growth performance, internal organs, and bacterial population of the cecum, and prececal nutrient digestibility. For this purpose, 80 hatched day-old B.U.T.6 were placed in a completely randomized design, including four treatments, four replicates for each treatment, and five birds in each replicate. The turkeys underwent experimental treatments from 31 to 127 days, including control, 3% dietary grape pomace, 150 mL/L aqueous extract of grape pomace, and 0.5 mL/L vitamin E-selenium in the drinking water. The turkeys treated with grape pomace had the highest daily weight gain and final body weight. Grape pomace extract treatment had a negative effect on daily feed intake. Experimental treatments throughout the course did not have a significant effect on the feed conversion ratio. The bacterial population of Escherichia coli in the cecum was lower in the vitamin E-selenium treatment than in other treatments. The population of Lactobacillus bacteria in all experimental treatments was higher than in the control treatment and the highest in the treatment of grape pomace extract. Digestion of dry matter, crude fat, and protein in turkeys treated with grape pomace extract and control were more than in the other treatments. The digestibility of crude fat in turkeys treated with grape pomace was significantly lower than in other treatments. The use of grape pomace in turkey diets is recommended because it increases the overall daily weight gain, final body weight, and the number of beneficial bacteria. In turkeys treated with grape pomace extract, daily weight gain and final body weight can be considered helpful in reducing feed costs.