1,800 day of hatch male chicks (Cobb X Cobb 500) were allotted to one of six treatments (6 pens of 50 birds each): 1) Vaccine A; 2) Vaccine A + Micro-Aid® at 250 mg/kg; 3) Vaccine A + Micro-Aid® at 500 mg/kg; 4) Vaccine B; 5) Vaccine B + Micro-Aidsup>® at 250 mg/kg; and 6) Vaccine B + Micro-Aid® at 500 mg/kg. Birds were placed in floor pens with 4 inches of built up litter, top-dressed with fresh pine shavings and then oocysts per gram of litter were collected on days: 7, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, and 35 of the experiment.
- Earlier vaccine cycling correlates to the noted improvements in performance.
- The reduction in OPG of litter in the Micro-Aid® supplemented groups correlates to the noted improvements in feed efficiency.
- The lower OPG in the Micro-Aid® treated groups did not impact or delay the onset of immunity to E. acervulina, E. maxima, nor E. tenella.
