Anticoccidial activity of salinomycin in floor-pen experiments with broilers

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Science
• Parasitology

Background:

• Coccidiosis is a significant parasitic disease in poultry, causing substantial economic losses.
• Anticoccidial agents are crucial for managing coccidiosis in commercial poultry production.
• Salinomycin and monensin are commonly used ionophore anticoccidials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of salinomycin compared to monensin under floor-pen conditions.
• To assess salinomycin's performance across different levels of coccidial challenge (severe, moderate, mild).
• To compare salinomycin's effects on weight gain, feed conversion, lesion scores, and mortality.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted using floor pens with poultry.
• Salinomycin was administered at 60-100 p.p.m., compared to unmedicated controls.
• Monensin-medicated groups (100 or 121 p.p.m.) served as additional comparators.
• Birds were subjected to various rearing methods and coccidial exposure protocols.

Main Results:

• Salinomycin consistently improved weight gain, feed conversion, lesion scores, and reduced mortality compared to unmedicated controls.
• Significant improvements were observed in salinomycin-treated groups, especially under severe coccidiosis.
• No statistically significant differences were found between salinomycin and monensin in overall effects on mortality, weight gain, and feed conversion.

Conclusions:

• Salinomycin exhibits potent anticoccidial activity in poultry.
• Salinomycin's performance is comparable to monensin, even under challenging coccidial conditions.
• Salinomycin is an effective agent for managing coccidiosis in poultry production.