Evaluation of Herbal Anticoccidials on Growth Performance in Experimentally Infected Broiler Chickens

Vilma Vilienė, Asta Racevičiūtė-Stupelienė, Daria Murawska, Michał Gesek, Paulius Matusevičius, Zoja Miknienė and Monika Nutautaitė ()
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Vilma Vilienė: Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Asta Racevičiūtė-Stupelienė: Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Daria Murawska: Department of Animal Welfare and Research, Faculty of Animal Bioengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury Oczapowskiego ,Str. 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Michał Gesek: Department of Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury Oczapowskiego, Str. 13 D, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Paulius Matusevičius: Department of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Zoja Miknienė: Large Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Monika Nutautaitė: Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: Avian diseases, especially coccidiosis, represent a significant threat to poultry production, demanding research into the use of herbal supplements in birds’ diets. So, the aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of selected herbal components in mitigating coccidiosis in broilers and to examine their overall impact on the productivity traits of broilers. A 35-day feeding trial was conducted with 1200 male ROSS 308 broiler chickens in two poultry facilities, one non-infected, using either usual coccidiostats (UC − ) or 500 g/t herbal additive (consisting of Holarrhena antidysenterica , Ficus religiosa , Berberis aristata , Allium sativum , Embelia ribes , and Azadirachta indica ; HA − ) and the other intentionally exposed to Eimeria via drinking water at 7 days old, with corresponding control and experimental groups (UC + and HA + ). Dietary interventions significantly influenced broiler chicken body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) throughout the trial, notably on day 21, with UC + treatment yielding the highest values. Herbal supplements did not affect the feed conversion ratio (FCR) or liveability. Under infection, litter dry matter (DM) content differences were notable on days 14 and 21, favouring herbal additive treatments (HA − and HA + ). Herbal supplements also impacted Eimeria presence in the duodenum and jejunum on day 21, with notable differences between treatments. Despite several limitations, the study reveals that herbal additions may effectively manage Eimeria infection and enhance litter quality in broiler production, since control treatments demonstrated improved development and anatomy.

Keywords: Eimeria; coccidiosis; growth performance; litter oocyst; lesion score; herbal origin additives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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