Enhancing Broiler Production With Humic Acid and Probiotics: Effects on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Immune Response, Gut Microbiota, and Economic Feasibility.

Background: Humic acid and probiotics are increasingly used as natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. Humic substances have been reported to support nutrient absorption and gut health, while probiotics enhance microbial balance and immune function. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the individual and combined effects of humic acid and probiotics on growth performance, carcass characteristics, immune parameters, caecal bacterial populations ( Methods: A total of 195 one-day-old Lohmann Meat (Indian River) broiler chicks were allocated in a completely randomized design with five dietary treatments and 3 replicates of 13 birds each. Dietary treatments were as follows: a basal diet (control), a basal diet with 0.05% humic acid, a basal diet with 0.10% humic acid, a basal diet with 0.02% probiotics, and a basal diet containing both 0.05% humic acid and 0.02% probiotics. Results: Dietary inclusion of humic acid or probiotics did not significantly affect ( Conclusions: Overall, this study demonstrated that dietary supplementation with humic acid and probiotics, particularly in combination, improved carcass traits, reduced pathogenic bacterial loads, enhanced selected immune parameters, and increased economic returns without affecting growth performance at 28 days.