Effect of Lasalocid or Salinomycin on Performance and Immunity Following Coccidia Vaccination of Broilers

A new study in the US has examined the benefits of giving the ionophores, lasalocid or salinomycin, to in-ovo coccidia-vaccinated chickens.
calendar icon 1 December 2014
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Coccidiosis vaccines and feed medications have traditionally been used in the poultry industry to control or prevent coccidiosis; however, little information exists on the use of these products jointly to reduce the deleterious effects of coccidiosis on bird performance, according to Jon Schaeffer of Zoetis.

With co-authors from Southern Poultry Research Inc. in a paper in Journal of Applied Poultry Research, they say that vaccination allows preferential cycling of drug-sensitive strains and development of immunity to coccidiosis, whereas medications halt or minimise intestinal damage due to this parasitic disease and help control secondary bacterial infections.

The goal of using both products is to allow the bird’s immunity to be established while optimising performance.

Lessening the effect of coccidiosis on bird performance could result in substantial economic benefits to the poultry industry.

This study was designed to investigate the potential benefits of giving the ionophores, lasalocid or salinomycin, to in-ovo coccidia-vaccinated chickens.

Schaeffer and co-authors concluded from their results that using either of these medications in conjunction with the vaccine resulted in improved feed conversion while maintaining immunity to coccidia challenge, with performance and economic advantages seen when the ionophores were included in the finisher diet or in both the grower and finisher diets.

Reference

Mathis G., J. Schaeffer, K. Cookson, J. Dickson, M. LaVorgna and D. Waldrip. 2014. Effect of lasalocid or salinomycin administration on performance and immunity following coccidia vaccination of commercial broilers. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 23(4):577-585. doi: 10.3382/japr.2013-00780

Further Reading

You can view the full report by clicking here.
Find out more about coccidiosis in poultry by clicking here.

December 2014

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