Study of the Efficacy of Herbal Anticoccidial Agent in Broiler Chickens

An experiment was carried out using 200, day old unsexed broiler chicks to study the efficacy of herbal anticoccidial agent in broiler chickens. Chicks belongs to group I received control diet, group II herbal anticoccidial agent (500g/ton), group III coccidia oocysts and group IV received both herbal anticoccidial agent(500g/ton) and coccidia oocysts. The doses of 50,000 sporulated oocysts were adjusted in 1.0 ml of suspension. 1.0 ml of suspension was inoculated by oral route to the experimental birds on 21st day of age in the groups III and IV. The group (III) showed dullness, anorexia, huddling together, blood mixed droppings and ruffled feathers. The bloody droppings appeared upto 7 day of post infection (dpi). The group IV showed a marked recovery after 7 dpi, when compared to coccidia control group. The severities of clinical signs were less throught the period of post infection. It was also observed in the present study that the herbal anticoccidial agent treated birds (group IV) showed significant reduction in oocysts output when compared to birds infected with coccidia alone (groupIII).