The intensification of poultry has made necessary to use chemical coccidiostats, due to the great productive effort to which birds are subjected. However, the continued use of these chemicals presents certain drawbacks arising from their metabolization, such as the overexertion of the liver, which ends up causing alterations.

Intestinal optimizer pronutrients are molecules with a botanical origin that stimulate the local immunity of the gut, promoting the elimination of coccidia.

Liver conditioning pronutrients are active molecules from natural extracts, which stimulate the physiological functioning of the liver, favoring the renewal of hepatocytes and protein synthesis.

1. Objective

Evaluate the effect of intestinal optimizer pronutrients to replace chemical coccidiostats and at the same time the effect of liver conditioning pronutrients on production parameters.

2. Material and methods

The test was conducted on broilers divided into the following experimental groups:

• Group A:
  • Day 0-14: coccidiostat (carbanide 1)
  • Day 15-28: coccidiostat (carbanide 2)
  • Day 29-40: coccidiostat (ionophore)
  • Day 41-45: no treatment
  • No liver conditioning pronutrients
• Group B:
  • Day 0-45: intestinal optimizer pronutrients
  • No liver conditioning pronutrients
• Group C
  • Day 0-45: intestinal optimizer pronutrients
  • Day 0-45: liver conditioning pronutrients

All batches received avilamycine from day 1 to the end of the trial as a growth promoter.

The following parameters were evaluated during the trial: average weight, mortality, average daily gain, feed conversion rate (FCR) and efficiency index (EI).

3. Results

Obtained results during the 45 days of farming:

Cumulative mortality was lower in the group treated with intestinal optimizer pronutrients and liver conditioning pronutrients together, with a significant difference from the other experimental groups. This difference is essentially due to the lower mortality rate during the first few weeks of breeding.

At the same time, a decrease in conversion rate was observed during all breeding phases in the treated group with both types of pronutrients.

Regarding the average weight and the daily average gain the results were very similar among the three experimental groups.

Due to the lower mortality rate and the decrease in conversion rate, Group C achieved the highest efficiency index.

4. Conclusion

The combined use of intestinal optimizer pronutrients and liver conditioning pronutrients can decrease mortality, especially in the early stages of growth, and decrease the feed conversion rate promoting the use of feed, thus constituting an effective alternative to chemical coccidiostats.

Intestinal optimizer pronutrients and liver conditioning pronutrients are marketed under the name Alquernat Zycox and Alquernat Livol, respectively, by Biovet S.A.