Effect of dietary methionine status on response of chicks to coccidial infection

Three experiments determined if the methionine requirement of broiler chicks was affected by coccidial infection. Chicks were fed a corn-soy or a corn-soy-pea basal diet containing 0.73% and 0.62% total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), respectively. Levels of 0 to 0.45% DL-methionine were added, with and without 0.01% monensin sodium. In two experiments, the chicks were inoculated at two weeks of age with a mixture of oocysts of E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. tenella, E. necatrix and E. brunetti. Lesion scores on the intestines and ceca, and blood carotenoid levels were determined at three weeks. The experiments were terminated at four weeks. A level of methionine greater than 0.47% and of TSAA greater than 0.83% was necessary to obtain maximum growth rate in uninoculated chicks. No evidence of dermatitis was observed. Growth rate and feed efficiency of chicks infected with coccidiosis were more severly depressed when the diet was not supplemented with methionine. Infections of coccidia and low levels of methionine, which in themselves did not produce any significant change in weight gain, did give a significant weight depression in combination. Adding monensin to the diet prevented a reduction in growth rate and feed efficiency of inoculated chicks fed adequate methionine. Monensin did not completely prevent the adverse effects of a coccidial infection, based on feed efficiency, when chicks were fed diets inadequate in methionine. Blood carotenoid levels were not affected by methionine level, but were significantly lowered by coccidial infection in the absence of monensin. Intestinal and cecal lesions in inoculated chicks were significantly reduced by including monesin in the diet. Although the coccidial infection more severly affected the performance of chicks fed diets deficient in methionine, satistical analysis of pooled data indicated no difference in the quantitative requirement of chicks for methionine. Therefore, a level of methionine and cystine adequate for optimum growth under the coccidial-free conditions should be adequate for chicks when infected with coccidia.