the effect of ionophore additives of salinomycin and maduramycin on performance, carcass yield and concentration of some minerals of serum in broiler chicks

this experiment was carried out in order to study the effect of ionophore anticoccidial drugs (salinomycin, maduramycin and their combination) and the comparison of those effects on the performance, carcass characteristics and concentration of some minerals of serum in broiler chicks. this experiment was included four treatments: 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet with 60 mg/kg salinomycin, 3) basal diet with 5 mg/kg maduramycin and 4) basal diet with 30 mg/kg salinomycin plus 2.5 mg/kg maduramycin. for this experiment, we considered 272 one-day-old commercial broiler chicks from the ross -308. these chicks were used in 16 sub groups containing 17 chicks per sub group in complete randomized design. the rations of chicks during the experimental period (1-56 days) were based on the corn-soybean meal diet. the results showed that, the group receiving combined drugs, reduced the body weight at the whole raising period and the ages of 42 and 56 days old (p<0.05), while there was not any significant difference of weight gain in those groups that received salinomycin and maduramycin.feed intake was reduced at the age of 42 day old in those group receiving combined drugs (p<0.05), while there was not any significant difference in the experimental groups, considering the feed intake at the ages of  21 and 56 days old, and the whole raising  period. feed conversion ratio was significantly reduced in the group receiving salinomycin (p<0.05).the mortality percentage was not affected by the experimental treatments. also, the results showed that there was a significant effect of the kind of drug being used, on the percentage of abdominal fat and the amount of calcium in blood serum (p<0.05).