Coccidiosis continues to be one of the main problems faced by Turkish poultry producers year after year, it is a parasitic disease caused by different species of protozoa of the genus Eimeria spp.

Poultry production in Turkey

Poultry production in Turkey has been increasing in recent years and chicken has become the main protein source for its inhabitants. Poultry production in Turkey is expected to increase by 7% during 2022 reaching 2.24 million tons of meat, compared to the 2.17 million tons of meat produced during 2021 (Chart 1).

This growth in the poultry sector is mainly due to an increase in the exportations of chicken meat to Middle East countries such as Iran and Iraq, as well as to China. Turkish chicken meat exports are expected to increase by 24% and reach 700,000 tons during 2022.

Prevalence of coccidiosis

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of great importance worldwide, which causes great economic losses in poultry farms. The different species of the genus Eimeria spp. replicate in the intestinal epithelium of birds, damaging the intestinal mucosa and causing from catarrhal to hemorrhagic enteritis, capable of significantly reduce the performance of birds and even cause high mortality outbreaks in the most serious cases.

In the case of Turkey, coccidiosis remains one of the most important challenges for producers, since, although in most cases coccidiosis appears subclinically, the appearance of clinical cases with high mortality is also frequent. Recent studies have revealed that more than 30% of Turkish farms have levels of oocysts in feces compatible with subclinical coccidiosis.

Eimeria spp.  species most prevalent in Turkey are E. tenella, E. acerbulina and E. maxima.

The most widely used control method for the control of this parasitosis consists of the addiction of chemical coccidiostats, such as monensin in feed. However, these anticoccidials are providing bad results due to the generation of resistances.

Intestinal optimizer pronutrients – the tested solution in Turkey

Intestinal optimizer pronutrients are a natural solution for the control of coccidiosis in birds. These are molecules of botanical origin that act at the intestinal level, enhancing the local immunity of the intestine, so that the animal’s own defenses can avoid the colonization of the intestinal epithelium by parasites.

Unlike coccidiostats, which act directly on parasites and therefore can cause resistance, pronutrients act directly on the cells of the animal, so they do not generate resistance, nor do leave residues in the animal.

The mechanism of action of these active molecules consists of the activation of genes and specific DNA sequences that lead to a greater synthesis of functional proteins, optimizing the physiological functioning of the animal.

Trials in Turkey have shown that the use of intestinal optimizer pronutrients allows to control coccidiosis, avoiding the appearance of mortality outbreaks and preventing the negative consequences on productivity caused by subclinical coccidiosis.

Below are the images of a real clinical case of a Turkish company (image 1), in which an outbreak of coccidiosis in broilers was diagnosed at day 18 of the cycle, with a marked increase in mortality. At the necropsy, a hemorrhagic typhlitis compatible with E. tenella was observed. The farm was using monensin in the feed on an ongoing basis. After the identification of the problem, the application of intestinal optimizer pronutrients in drinking water began.

After the application of pronutrients, mortality and production parameters were normalized and the necropsy showed a notable improvement in the state of the intestinal epithelium of birds (image 2).

hese farm trials show that intestinal optimizer pronutrients are a natural tool for the prevention of coccidiosis in birds.

Intestinal optimizer pronutrients are marketed under the name of Alquernat Zycox of Biovet S.A.