Comparative Efficacy of Salinomycin Sodium and Neem Fruit (Azadirachta Indica) as Feed Additive Anticoccidials in Broilers

Abstract

The anticoccidial efficacy of a herb, neem fruit (<I>Azadirachta indica</I>) is compared with an ionophorus anticoccidial Kokcisan (salinomycin sodium) against coccidiosis in broilers. Two hundred and forty one-day-old broiler chicks were reared for 42 days. These birds were divided into 6 groups i.e. A,B,C,D,E and F comprising of 40 birds each. There were six treatments, 25 gm  salinomycin  sodium/50kg feed (A), 50gm ground neem fruit /50kg feed (B), 100 gm ground neem fruit /50kg feed (C), 150 gm ground neem fruit /50kg feed (D), infected non-medicated (E), non-infected non-medicated (F). Groups A,B,C,D and E were given a challenge dose of coccidial oocyst at the age of 22 days. Weight gain, feed consumption, oocysts in the faeces, clinical findings and mortality were recorded. The result revealed that the birds of non-infected non-medicated group had better (P<0.05) weight gain as compared to medicated groups. The birds of Salinomycin sodium group have better  weight gain and feed efficiency as compared to other treated groups but the difference was non significant (P>0.05). Moreover, neem fruit 150gm/50kg feed had excellent performance in terms of oocyst count and lower mortality as compared to other treated groups.