Data from Elanco’s most recent broiler HTSi (Health Tracking System) report has highlighted the importance of employing coccidiosis prevention measures throughout a bird’s whole lifecycle, in order to maintain good Intestinal Integrity and performance.
Agustina Rodriguez, technical nutrition consultant at Elanco, explains that the report, which collates data from flocks across the UK, highlighted a deterioration in gut health integrity in quarter three and four of 2020.
“While we’d expect to see this decline as the cold and wet weather encourages coccidiosis and bacterial enteritis to thrive, it’s crucial for producers to pay extra attention to internal biosecurity and hygiene measures, to maintain the correct house climate conditions,” she says.
“Teaming climate control with other good husbandry techniques – such as comprehensive cleanouts and adequate floor maintenance – with a robust anticoccidial programme, will decrease coccidiosis oocyst survival and therefore minimise disease risk.”
Anticoccidial programme
To achieve maximum control and maintain feed intakes and weight gain, Agustina recommends using a programme of Maxiban™ and Monteban™ to prevent clinical coccidiosis without compromising the bird’s natural immunity.
Maxiban for the first 28 days
Administering Maxiban™, which combines proven active ingredients, narasin and nicarbazin, for the first 28 days of a bird’s life when the coccidia challenge is greatest, will help birds to surpass the greatest disease challenge and build immunity.
Followed up by Monteban™
Once birds have passed the peak coccidial challenge at around 4 weeks old, it remains important to continue to control the disease as the bird’s immunity is not fully developed by this point.
So, in order to avoid sub-clinical coccidiosis and enteritis, Agustina recommends keeping on top of the problem by using Monteban™ – containing narasin – for the remainder of the bird’s life.
“On top of their natural disease fighting ability, the combination of both products promotes high Intestinal Integrity in flocks. This helps prevent lower feed utilisation and reduced weight gain, as well as the risk of mortality, associated with the two diseases,” she says.
About the HTSi
Elanco’s Health Tracking System (HTSi) is an established, independently verified and globally recognised broiler benchmarking platform that incorporates multiple lesions to assess gut health, locomotor function, respiratory stability, and bird welfare.
The quarterly HTSi reports aggregate all UK data collected by the Elanco team from the previous three months.
The data included is unselective and includes all birds post-mortem, irrespective of the source of anticoccidial or program choice.
The 2020 Annual Report will also shortly be available – previous years can be accessed at myelanco.co.uk.
For more information, please visit www.myelanco.co.uk or contact the Elanco Animal Health team on 01256 353131.
Maxiban contains Narasin and Nicarbazin. Legal category SFA. Further information is available from the Datasheet.
Monteban G100 contains narasin. Legal category SFA.
Maxiban, Monteban, Elanco and the diagonal bar are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. Use medicines responsibly www.noah.co.uk/responsible
Elanco Animal Health, First Floor, Form 2, Bartley Way, Bartley Wood Business Park, Hook RG27 9XA. Telephone: 01256 353131 Email: elancouk@elanco.com Date of preparation: February 2021. © 2021 Elanco or its affiliates PM-UK-21-0157