Effect of coccidios vaccine on nutrient availability, blood and bone mineral composition and performance in broiler chickens

Objective: An experiment was conducted to compare the mineral kompozisyone of chickens treated with anticoccidial monensin and live attenuated coccidiosis vaccine. Material and Methods: In total, 432 one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments, with 6 replicate pens/treatment and 24 birds/replicate pen. Experimental treatments lasted 39 d and comprised: corn-soybean meal basal diet (control group, CON); control plus anticoccidial monensin supplemented group (MON); and group where birds subjected live attenuated coccidiosis vaccine at one-day of age and fed unmedicated basal diet (VAC). Results: No significant differences were observed for body weight, body weight gain and mortality rate between treatments (P > 0.05). Vaccination birds against coccidiosis significantly increased feed intake when compared with MON group between 1 to 13 days and CON group between 14 to 26 days, respectively. Feed intake did not differ significantly among groups between 27 to 39 days and 1 to 39 days. A statistical trend (P = 0.056) and statistical significance (P < 0.05) were observed for increased feed conversion ratio (FCR) between 1 to 13 days and 14 to 26 days, respectively, in the VAC group, but no response was observed between 27 to 39 days. MON group showed mediate FCR values between CON and VAC treatments. FCR values were comparable amongst treatments between 27 to 39 days and 1 to 39 days. Meat yield was unaffected by treatments (P > 0.05) at any age period. However, as compared to CON treatment, the VAC and MON treatments significantly (P < 0.01) decreased the cooking loss and squeezable water ratio in breast meat while tended to reduce drip loss (P= 0.08). Tibia bone length and weight at different ages were barely affected by dietary treatments with the exception that bone diameter at 39 days of age was higher (P < 0.05) in the VAC group than those in the other treatments. There was significant lack of response to dietary treatments in terms of serum and bone mineral composition whereas the VAC treatment decreased (P < 0.01) bone Zn content only at day 13. In contrast, the effect of treatments on faecal mineral content is more pronounced. According to analysed values regarding 13 days of age, the percentage amount of Na, K and Mg decreased whilst Fe was increased (P < 0.01) in feaces with VAC treatment in relation to CON and MON groups. Dry matter and ash content of serum and tibia bone showed no significant response to the treatments at each control point. However, with regard to faeces, the magnitude of response to treatments were significant at all age periods. The faecal dry matter content in the VAC group was lower (P < 0.05) than that in the other groups. Comparable dry matter content in faeces were determined between the MON and CON groups at any age. The percentage amount of faecal ash in the vaccinated birds were remarkably lower (P < 0.05) than that of the CON at all phases of the experiment but quite similar to that of the values from chickens fed the MON diet. Conclusion: The broiler chicks vaccinated against coccidiosis with live-attenuated coccidiosis vaccine at hatch exhibited similar final growth performance characteristics, meat yield, bone development, serum and bone mineral composition to those unvaccinated counterparts and dietary supplemented with monensin. Results also suggest that coccidiosis vaccine could serve as practical tool to control chicken coccidiosis while maintaining targeted productive traits without eliciting no major change on mineral composition of modern hybrid broilers. Overall, it can be said that the current practices in the feed industry may be sufficient to meet the macro and micro mineral needs of commercial broiler chickens vaccinated against coccidiosis. Keywords: Coccidiosis vaccine, Growth performance, Mineral composition, Meat yield, Breast meat quality