Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1997

Abstract

Three experiments (Exp.) were conducted to evaluate the interactive effects of dietary betaine (BET) and monensin (MON) in uninfected or Eimeria acervulina-infected chicks. The treatments were replicated with six (Exp. 1) or five (Exp. 2 and 3) pens of five chicks each. The experimental periods lasted 9 (Exp. 1 and 2) or 10 (Exp. 3) d each and the coccidiosis infections were established on Day 2 (Exp. 1 and 2) or Day 3 (Exp. 3) of the experiment. Average initial weight of the chicks was 101, 73, and 68 g in Exp. 1 to 3, respectively, and the initial age of the chicks was 5 (Exp. 1) or 4 (Exp. 2 and 3) d. A corn-soybean meal basal diet was used in each experiment. In Exp. 1, the effect of dietary BET (0, 0.1, or 0.5%) in uninfected or coccidiosis-infected (COC; 5 × 105 sporulated E. acervulina oocysts) chicks was investigated. In Exp. 2, the interactive effects of BET (0 or 0.1%) and MON (0 or 55 ppm) in uninfected or COC chicks were investigated in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Experiment 3 was identical to Exp. 2, except the level of MON was 110 rather than 55 ppm. In Exp. 1, 2, and 3, COC reduced (P < 0.01) gain, feed intake (FI), feed efficiency (GF), and plasma carotenoid concentration (CAR) and increased (P < 0.01) lesion score (LS). In Exp. 1, gain and FI were decreased in uninfected chicks fed 0.1% BET but gain and FI were increased in COC chicks fed 0.1% BET (COC × BET quadratic, P < 0.01). Dietary BET linearly increased (P < 0.05) GF. In Exp. 2 and 3, MON increased (P < 0.01) gain, FI, GF, and CAR and decreased (P < 0.01) LS of COC chicks, but MON had no effect in uninfected chicks (COC × MON, P < 0.01). In Exp. 2, GF was increased more in chicks fed both MON and BET than in chicks fed MON (BET × MON, P < 0.06). In Exp. 3, BET increased GF of uninfected chicks fed MON and of COC chicks not fed MON (COC × BET × MON, P < 0.02). Betaine may have an effect on E. acervulina-infected chicks, but there is no conclusive evidence to indicate that the efficacy of MON is improved when fed in combination with BET.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Poultry Science

First Page

1014

Last Page

1019

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