The study was undertaken on Cobb-400 strain of broiler birds (n=300) reared on battery cage system with standard protocols to know the comparative efficacy of 4 commonly used coccidiostats through haematological alterations in experimentally E. tenella infected birds. Fifty day-old chicks each of T1, T2, T3 and T4 group were given coccidiostat Diclazuril (0.1%), Salinomycin (12%), Diclazuril + Salinomycin and Maduramicin (1 %) at a dose rate of 100, 50, 100+50 and 50 g/100 kg feed, respectively. Group T5 was kept as infected control and T6 as uninfected control without coccidiostat. Infection of E. tenella @ 50,000 oocytes was induced at three week of age in group T1 to T5 to see haematological changes after 1 wk of infection. The study revealed that haemoglobin, packed cell volume and total erythrocytes counts were reduced significantly (P<0.05), while total leukocytes counts were increased significantly on account of coccidial infection in all coccidiostat treated and infected non-treated control group of birds 1-week post-exposure. Differential leukocytes count (DLC) revealed significant increase in heterophills, lymphocytes and eosinophills, and decrease in monocytes and basophils in infected birds. Comparative less pathological change was found in Salinomycin treatment group. In comparison with positive control group, all coccidiostat treated groups and Maduramicin in particular showed significant beneficial effect on TEC with less RBCs damage. There was also significant reduction in PCV in post-infection positive control group compared to all coccidiostats treated groups. Better efficacy on PCV was of Salinomycin. TLC count of post infection positive control group was significantly higher than the pre-infection value of same group. Better efficacy on TLC of Salinomycin followed by Maduramicin was observed in E. tenella infection. After experimental infection heterophills counts were significantly increased in all treatment groups with highest increase in T1 group followed by T3, T4 and T2 group indicating better efficacy of Salinomycin and Maduramicin. Post-infection positive control group had significant increase in lymphocytes count as compared to pre-infection. Overall, better efficacy of Salinomycin followed by Maduramicin was found in infected birds compared to Diclazuril in terms of haematological alterations in experimentally infected birds.

Download this article as