Natural sugarcane feed material (Polygain™) matches antibiotics in a coccidiosis challenge trial
Summary
Coccidia is a parasite that affects chickens, reducing bird welfare and farmer profits.
Ionophore antibiotics, such as salinomycin, are a typical treatment or prevention solution.
Polygain has the potential to reduce or eliminate antibiotics in poultry production; as demonstrated by a recent trial involving over 500 broiler chickens, the feed conversion salinomycin and Polygain doses over 0.25% were similar.
Background
The poultry industry losses due to coccidiosis are estimated to be over US$13 billion per year (Blake 2020). The clinical signs of coccidiosis include severe diarrhoea and permanent damage to the gastrointestinal tract, a reduced growth rate and can end in mortality. Many of the economic impacts of coccidiosis are due to sub-clinical cases. Issues include the cost of preventative treatments, lower growth rates, worse feed conversion and processing losses due to variability in carcass weight.
Ionophore antibiotics, such as salinomycin are often used to control coccidiosis. However, there is a strong community desire to move away from antibiotics in the food supply chain so alternative treatment options are being investigated.
Trial Design
Polygain was shown to inhibit coccidia spores in an in vitro trial. This investigation tested the performance of Polygain in birds against a simultaneous clinical challenge of Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella. Ross 308 broiler chickens kept under commercial stocking density and dietary conditions, infected by a 20 times dosage of live Eimeria vaccine containing three different strains. Feed conversion, average daily gain and gut lesion score were used to assess the performance of Polygaine. The doses (0.025%, 0.05%, 0.25% and 0.5%) were compared to both a control and the ionophore antibiotic (salinomycin)
Trial design for coccidia challenge.
Results
The feed conversion of salinomycin and Polygain doses over 0.25% were similar
Even at the lowest dose of Polygain, the welfare of birds (as measured by gut lesion score) was improved.
This trial is awaiting publication.
Values for the cost of coccidiosis are based on Blake, D.P., Knox, J., Dehaeck, B. et al. Re-calculating the cost of coccidiosis in chickens. Vet Res 51, 115 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-020-00837-2.
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