Performance and Anticoccidial Effects of Magni-Phi® in Coccidia-Vaccinated Broilers

Magni-Phi (Phibro Animal Health) is a triterpenoid saponin feed additive that has been shown to exert anticoccidial effects in broilers. A series of four floor pen studies was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and performance responses of Magni-Phi (MP) when used in combination with a standard coccidiosis vaccination program. Trials 1 and 2 were designed to assess the effects of MP (0 and 250 ppm) in birds receiving CocciVac at hatching. Trial 3 was designed to determine the ideal period of use for MP in feeding programs with coccidia-vaccinated broilers: vaccinated birds without MP were compared to coccidial vaccinates receiving MP (250 ppm) from either 0 to 18, 0 to 42 or 18 to 42 days of age. In Trial 4, MP (250 ppm) was compared to salinomycin (40 ppm) for its ability to affect performance and limit oocyst production in vaccinated birds during the 18 to 35 day time period.

 

In each trial, male Cobb chicks were spray vaccinated with CocciVac upon receipt from the hatchery, allowed to preen and then placed in floor pens containing used litter; 45 birds per pen were used.  Treatments in every test were replicated eight times using randomized complete block designs; bird performance was measured at 18, 28 and 42 days of age. In each study, fecal oocyst production (oocysts/gram of feces, OPG) was determined at days 18 and 28. In all trials significance was determined at P<0.05. Pooled results of trials 1 and 2 demonstrated that MP significantly improved adjusted FCR responses of birds vaccinated for coccidiosis at both 28 and 42 days. In addition, significant reductions in OPG were recorded in MP treatments. In Trial 3, administration of MP significantly improved feed conversion values at day 42 compared to vaccinated controls, and birds receiving MP throughout their lives showed better feed conversions than all other treatments. MP significantly reduced oocyst production at day 28. Data from Trial 4 indicated that MP was statistically equivalent to salinomycin in performance variables at days 35 and 42, but provided significant reductions in OPG compared to salinomycin and the vaccine alone.

 

Overall, these tests demonstrated that MP can complement the use of a live coccidiosis vaccine by providing significant improvements in feed conversion and significant reductions in number of oocysts shed during critical periods of the growth cycle.