The aim of present experiment was to assess the effects of fermented rapeseed meal (FRSM) on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) colonization and growth performance in broiler chicks. Two hundred forty day-old male Cobb 500 broiler chicks were divided into six experimental treatments with four replicates and 10 birds per each. The treatments were including two positive and negative controls which birds received a basal corn-soybean diet as well as four others which birds received the diets that rapeseed meal (RSM) or FRSM was replaced with soybean meal at 50 and 100% levels. All chicks except the negative control birds were challenged orally with 105 CFU of S. Typhimurium at 3 days of age. Results showed that birds were fed FRSM had significantly greater lactic acid bacteria populations and lesser S. Typhimurium colonization in ileal and cecal sections compared to others (P < 0.05). The less percentage of liver and bursa of fabricius was belonged to negative control group. At 10 day, feeding chicks with diet containing FRSM, but not RSM, significantly decreased the organ invasion by S. Typhimurium (P < 0.05). Heterophil to lymphocyte ratio was significantly lesser in chicks were fed FRSM compared to those fed RSM or positive control (P < 0.05). Birds were fed FRSM had significantly higher weight gain and better feed conversion ratio compared to those birds were fed RSM (P < 0.05). The findings of present experiment concerning positive effects of feeding FRSM on reducing S. Typhimurium and improving growth performance show that this processed protein source can be considered as a nutritional effective strategy to control Salmonella contamination in broiler chicks.

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