Monimax® - Improving Welfare

Monimax® has a strong anticoccidial efficacy which results in improved performance. Better coccidiosis control is directly linked to better gut health and litter quality. 

Litter quality plays a key role in the development of foot pad dermatitis (FPD), an important welfare parameter. In addition to welfare implications, the presence of FPD can also have a direct economic impact as it may result in foot pads that are unsuitable for export. 

Recently, in a large European broiler field trial (203,200 Ross 708 broilers in total), the impact of Monimax® on coccidiosis lesion scores, performance and FPD was evaluated in comparison to a nicarbazin/narasin combination product. One farm with 16 identical houses was selected for the trial. 

Half of the birds received Monimax® in the feed, while the other half received the nicarbazin/narasin combination product.

 

Table 1. Treatment groups and dietary phases

 

Lesion scoring (Johnson and Reid, 1970) was performed at 21, 25 and 28 days of age to evaluate the coccidiosis lesions. 

 

Figure 1. The lesion scoring results per species are shown for groups that received Monimax® or a nicarbazin/narasin combination product

 

The total mean lesion score (TMLS) is the sum of the mean lesion score (MLS; average score) of E. acervulinaE. maxima and E. tenella for the examined birds. The results showed that scores for the birds that received Monimax® were lower compared to the birds that received the nicarbazin/narasin product for all the different ages (21, 25 and 28 days of age) evaluated. These results suggest better coccidiosis control which is reflected in the performance data.

Daily weight gain (DWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and EPEF (European production efficiency factor) were determined for each program.

 

Table 2. Performance parameters

 

Daily weight gain was corrected to 38 days and FCR was corrected to 2500 g to avoid possible differences linked to different end weights. Monimax® outperformed nicarbazin/narasin in both parameters. The calculated EPEF for Monimax® was over 400 and was 21 points high compared to the nicarbazin/narasin product.

Foot pad lesions were scored at thinning (32 days) and at final slaughter (41 days) in all the birds from the same farm which started up at the same time. A camera system was used to score every footpad on the slaughter line, applying a score of A, B or C where A was the best and C was the worst score (Figure 2). 

 

Figure 2. Example images of FPD scores from AVIAPP, following the scoring system from Berg (1998).

 

At thinning, the group that received Monimax® had 5% more foot pads with a perfect score (A). At slaughter age, this number increased to 33% more A scores compared to the nicarbazin/narasin combination product (Table 3). 

 

Table 3. Foot pad lesions

 

The results of the field trial clearly demonstrated that the efficacy of an anticoccidial product goes further than the lesion scores alone. In this trial, effective coccidiosis control was reflected in better performance results as well as a positive effect on FPD. 

Although litter quality itself was not evaluated in this trial, it is generally known and accepted that litter moisture is the most important parameter in the development of FPD. The positive effect on FPD in this trial is probably the result of the control of coccidiosis and secondary bacterial enteritis. The slightly decreased water intake that is seen when using monensin, resulting in drier droppings and leading to drier litter, was most likely also a contributor. Better litter management saves costs and will improve foot pad lesions and animal welfare on the farm.

 

Conclusion

Monimax® improves welfare levels of birds due to a positive effect on litter quality resulting in better foot pad scores. The positive effect on the litter is the result of improved coccidiosis control and the positive effect on litter moisture when using monensin.