Comparison between effects of standard feed and whole wheat supplemented diet on experimental Eimeria tenella and Eimeria maxima infections in broiler chickens

The effects of experimental infections with Eimeria tenella (Experiment 1, n = 144) or E. maxima (Experiment 2, n = 216) in broiler chickens fed whole wheat, with or without access to grit, as compared to a standard pelleted feed were studied. Inclusion of whole wheat was gradually increased up to 3 0% at 3 weeks of age. Grit was given separately. The chickens were kept on litter in a parasite-free environment with free access to water and feed. At 3 weeks of age half the number of chickens were individually inoculated with 500 sporulated oocysts of E. tenella (Experiment 1) or 3 000 sporulate d oocysts of Eimeria maxima (Experiment 2), and the remaining birds were ke pt separate as uninfected controls. Neither coccidiostats nor growth enhanc ers were used. Oocyst concentration was determined from each group separate ly. Intestinal lesions were scored on 6 birds per feed regime 7 d postinocu lation, and on the remaining birds at slaughter. Diet had no significant effect on bird performance during infection. Howeve r, there was an indication that the E. maxima infection had more negative e ffect on weight gain in birds given standard feed than in those given whole wheat supplement, but the difference was not significant (p<0.09). The num ber of oocysts shed or mean intestinal lesion scores did not differ between diets in either experiment. In both experiments, the number of Clostridium perfringens was higher in the caeca of inoculated birds, but there were no differences between diets.