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Objective: To study the interactive effect of betaine (BET) and Salinomycin (SAL) in coccidian-infected broiler chicks.
Design: Randomized complete block with 2 * 2 factorial arrangement.
Animals: Four hundred and eighty male Ross 308 broiler chicks.
Procedure: The chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments including: 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet plus .15% BET, 3) basal diet plus 66ppm SAL, and 4) basal diet plus .15% BET plus 66ppm SAL. Each treatment contained 4 replicates of 30 chicks and fed ad-libitum. All of the chicks were inoculated with a suspension of the mixed culture of Eimeria oocysts on 15 days of age. Feces samples were taken to determine the number of oocysts per gram of feces (OPG). Plasma carotenoid concentrations (PCC) were evaluated on 14 and 28 days of age. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (Fl), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and European efficiency factor (EEF) were determined to evaluate broiler’s performance.
Statistical analysis: General linear model (GLM) and Duncan’s multiple range test.
Results: Supplementation of diets with 66 ppm SAL significantly on improved the performance, increased the PCC (P<0.05),and decreased the OPG. Adding 0.15% BET alone did not affect production performance, PCC and OPG significantly (P> 0.05). Diet containing 66 ppm SAL supplemented with 0.15% BET significantly increased the BWG EEF, and PCC while it decreased the FCR and OPG (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: The results of this experimental study indicated that BET at the level of 0.15% could increase the efficacy of SAL for preventing deleterious effects of
Coccidiosis in broiler chicks. J.Fac. Vet.Med. Univ. Tehran. 60,4:305-311,2005