Investigation of betaine and vaccine efficacy to prevent from coccidiosis in broilers

In this study, it was aimed to point out the anticoccidial effect of betaine and vaccine as an alternative against monensin sodium. Day-old broiler chickens were separated into five equal groups with four replicate pens of 30 birds. One of the groups was given basal diet and served as the control. The following two of the five experimental groups received the basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg monensin sodium and betaine (2.0 g/kg), respectively. A commercial coccidiosis vaccine, either alone or in combination with betaine (2.0 g/kg), was carried out in order to form to remaining experimental groups. All of the chickens were challenged with sporulated field-mixed Eimeria species at 20 day of age. Throughout the experimental period, vaccinated birds out performed (P<0.05) other anticoccidial treatments in terms of body weight gain and feed conversation ratio which followed by betaine, vaccine+betaine and monensin treatments in a decreasing order. All of the anticoccidial regimens significantly decreased fecal oocyst output only at initiation of the measurements (i.e. first day of 11 days total observation period) however, this tendency disappeared thereafter (P<0.05). Supplementation diet with monensin and vaccination againts coccidiosis decreased (P<0.01) small intestine weight in comparision with the untreated controls whereas numerical decreased observed when chicks fed on diet with added betaine and treated with betaine+vaccine. Treatment chicks with monensin decreased breast meat pH but other treatments did not show any affect (P<0.05). Previously, there has been no experiment which aimed to compare betaine with monensin sodium and also coccidiosis vaccine. Results of present study indicated that dietary betaine supplementation and commercial coccidiosis vaccine with mix Eimeria spp. may convey benefits to control coccidiosis. They could be viable, cost effective, sustainable and safe alternatives to conventional anticoccidial programs of ionophore anticoccidials with additive benefits having no residue and resistant hazardous to both animal and for human consumption. Key words: Betaine, Coccidiosis, Eimeria, Monensin, Vaccination