Effects of antibiotic and phytogenic feed additives on broilers infected with Eimeria spp.

At the annual meeting of the Poultry Science Association (PSA), the main topic to be discussed was the future direction of poultry production. Challenges that the industry is facing worldwide are the reduction of antibiotics, alternative means of production and operational productivity. Consumers today are better informed and consequently demand more transparency and greater responsibility in establishing forms of husbandry that promote animal welfare.

In the light of these topics, Dr. Eckel presented the latest research results of its highly effective feed additive Anta®Phyt. With its phytogenic ingredients from hops, liquorice and arabic gum, Anta^®Phyt supports a healthy gut flora and has antibacterial effects, especially against gram positive bacteria.

A recent broiler feeding test in Peru, which compared Anta^®Phyt with feed groups with and without antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), showed that the phytogenic feed additive has significant benefits over AGPs in terms of feed efficiency, performance and animal health.

Study

Reducing antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) is a key factor in increasing the sustainability of broiler production. A suitable AGP replacement should protect animals from negative effects and improve the health of the digestive system. Effective phytogenic feed additives can achieve this. The effect of the phytogenic feed additive Anta^®Phyt MO on the performance and gut health of broilers infected with Eimeria spp. was investigated in this study. The aim was to demonstrate the impact of the phytogenic additive in comparison to a negative control (NC) group and a positive control (PC) group with an AGP programme during the induced dysbiosis.

Materials and methods

A total of 1,020 one-day old broiler chicks (ROSS 308) were randomly divided into three dietary treatment groups. All birds were fed in two nutritional phases (starter: 1–21 d and grower: 22–40 d) with a maize-soybean-meal-based diet in mash form. No additive was included in the NC group’s diet, while AGPs with coccidiostats were included in the PC group’s diet. The third group received a phytogenic feed additive (NC + 300 g/t Anta^®Phyt MO, Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition GmbH & Co. KG). Each group...