PREVENTION OF BROILER CHICK COCCIDIOSIS USING THE INACTIVATED SUBUNIT VACCINE COXABIC

Abstract

The efficacy of the vaccination of breeding hens in the prevention of coccidiosis of broiler chicks hatched from eggs laid by hens immunized with CoxAbic ® vaccine in comparison to broiler chicks coming from non-vaccinated hens was examined. Breeders were vaccinated 8 and 4 weeks before the beginning of egg laying. The level of Eimeria antibodies was determined using ELISA: in hen sera before and after the vaccination and in chick sera at the first day of age. One hundred and fifty six one-day-old chicks were divided into 4 groups: group 1- chicks from vaccinated hens and groups 2, 3, 4 - chicks from non-vaccinated hens . Chicks of groups 1, 2 and 3 were maintained in pens on concrete floor and chicks of group 4 in cages with wire net floor. One seeder chick in each pen was inoculated by oral gavage at 1 d of age with 50 oocysts each of 3 coccidia species: E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. tenella. Broilers of group 3 were fed diet containing diclazuril At age of 34 d the broilers were challenged with sporulated oocysts (300 000 E. acervulina,150 000 E. maxima, 60 000 E. tenella per bird). Six d after challenge intestinal lesion scores were recorded. It was demonstrated that CoxAbic ® vaccine used to vaccinate breeders protected their progeny against coccidiosis caused by 3 coccidian species. The level of Eimeria antibodies estimated in sera of chicks coming from vaccinated breeders was significantly higher than that in chicks coming from non-vaccinated ones. Broilers from vaccinated breeders were characterized by the lowest lesion score after challenge.