Effects of NatustatTM supplementation on Performance, Feed Efficiency and Intestinal Lesion Scores of Broiler Chickens Challenged with Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella.
C. F. Duffy*1, A. Malaguido#, L. Nollet* and R. F. Power‡
Alltech Brazil†
* Alltech Ireland Ltd., Sarney,
Summerhill Road, Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland;
# Alltech Brazil, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil
‡ Alltech Biotechnology Center, Catnip Hill, Nicholasville, KY 40356, USA.
Corresponding author: C. F. Duffy: cduffy@alltech.com
Intestinal parasitism is a major stress
factor leading to malnutrition and lowering of performance and production
efficiency of livestock. This is particularly true in the case of poultry.
Coccidiosis is an intestinal infection caused by species of intracellular
protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Eimeria, resulting in intestinal
lesions, diarrhoea, enteritis, and death. The three most common species that
affect the poultry industry are E. tenella, E. maxima and E. acervulina.
The effects of dietary supplementation of NatustatTM, a propriety plant derived
product (Alltech Inc., KY, USA) and Salinomycin, on performance, feed efficiency,
and intestinal lesion scores were observed during two Eimeria challenge trials
in broiler chickens. In the first trial, chickens were challenged with Eimeria
sp. by infecting the litter with a known amount of Eimeria oocysts. In the
second trial the source of the Eimeria challenge was the litter from the first
trial and the same treatment groups were assigned to the same pens as in the
initial trial.
Birds were housed in seven pens per treatment, with 55 birds per pen.
Performance parameters were recorded on days 21 and 42 during both trials.
Intestinal lesion scores were assessed on days 14 and 21 during Trial 1 and on
day 21 during Trial 2.
Average weight gain and feed conversion ratios significantly improved in the
NatustatTM and Salinomycin treatment groups when compared to the
non-supplemented infected group. Furthermore, lesion scores were lower on all
sampling days in the NatustatTM and Salinomycin groups when compared to the
non-supplemented group. However, only lesions associated with E. tenella were
significantly lowered by NatustatTM and Salinomycin supplementation. NatustatTM
and Salinomycin were equivalent in alleviating the negative performance effects
associated with coccidiosis challenge.