A new trial has shown the benefit of supplementing broilers with an oregano oil product in the fight against coccidiosis.
Dr Matthew Jones, director of nutrition and veterinarian at the Southern Poultry Research Group (SPRG) presented results of a trial at the 2022 Annual Poultry Science Association Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The work is titled “Evaluation of a Phytogenic Compound, Orego-Stim, in Broiler Chickens During Eimeria maxima Challenge”.
The trial found that Orego-Stim, which is manufactured by Anpario and is derived from oregano oil, when given to broilers infected with Eimeria maxima helped to mitigate the severe effects of coccidia cycling. Dr Jones has a PhD in poultry science and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Georgia,
“Eimeria maxima is one of the three primary coccidia affecting broilers and is one of the most frequent causes of intestinal damage resulting in Necrotic Enteritis,” Dr Jones said.
Broilers fed diets with Orego-Stim included had a greater body weight gain and a numerically improved feed conversion ratio at 21 days of age compared to infected control birds. In addition, later cycling of coccidia was numerically lower in groups supplemented with the natural phytogenic.
“It is often this late cycling of coccidia that has the most negative impact on broiler performance,” he said. “Whilst there is no question that early health issues can result in a lingering influence on performance, broilers have a tremendous capacity to compensate from such challenges and attain growth very close to breed standards. Later intestinal challenges though can have a far greater economic impact.”
In the trial, 450 day-old male Ross chicks were assigned to one of five groups (negative control, challenge control, Orego-Stim: 600 g/t, Orego-Stim: 800 g/t and Orego-Stim: 1000g/t). On day eight, all birds except the negative control were individually challenged via oral gavage with E. maxima (75,000 oocysts per bird at 1ml dose per bird). Body weight gain, intestinal lesion scores, oocyst count and mortality were recorded until 28 days of age.
“At all inclusion rates, Orego-Stim was effective at supporting bird performance,” said Dr Jones.
Natural oregano oil sources have many well-documented properties, including antimicrobial, antioxidant and immunomodulatory functions.