A coccidiosis challenge late in the production cycle has a profound, negative effect on energy utilization, flock performance and profitability – even when coccidial gut lesions are minor, indicates expansive research by a US nutritionist.
“I have never conducted a nutrition study with the order of magnitude that this study revealed about the impact of intestinal health on energy utilization,” Dr. Robert Teeter, of Oklahoma State University, said during a talk on the economic impact of subclinical coccidiosis in broilers.
His findings, which are being borne out in the field (see accompanying article), show that when broilers experience a coccidiosis challenge late in the production cycle, they use up more energy and need more feed compared to birds challenged with coccidiosis early in the production cycle. The result is increased malabsorption, reduced effective caloric value and an elevated maintenance cost, Teeter said.
The researcher and his team measured the effect of coccidial lesions on energy utilization, also known as the “calorific cost,” with the aid of indirect calorimetry chambers. His lab at the university has 60 of the chambers — the largest set for small animals anywhere in the world. The chambers enable measurement of values such as oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production in real time as birds are exposed to various stressors such as coccidiosis.
Teeter also uses an X-ray densitometer (DEXA) unit to noninvasively scan birds and quantify protein, fat, water, ash and energy content. “[This technology] gives us a very complete picture of what’s happening with growth and performance,” explained the nutritionist, whose work is in part sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health.
Source: Intestinal Health Magazine - Intervet/Schering-Plough
