Effects of whole wheat dilution v. substitution on coccidiosis in broiler chickens

To test the hypothesis that inclusion of whole cereals in the diet of broil er chickens reduces the severity of a coccidial infection, the effects were investigated, in birds infected with Eimeria acervulina, of feeding a comp lete pelleted control food, the control food diluted with whole wheat (400 g/kg), or a diet in which ground wheat in the pellets was substituted with whole wheat (400 g/kg) so as to achieve the same composition as the control diet. In the weeks prior to and after infection, (days 14-20 and days 21-2 7), no significant differences in performance were observed between birds f ed the complete pellet and substituted feeds. Birds fed the diluted feeds h ad significantly lower gains per unit of feed and numerically lower weight gains than the birds fed the control and substituted feeds during this peri od. No significant differences in performance were observed between treatme nts from days 28-34. Diluting feeds with whole wheat (400 g/kg) significant ly increased ileal digesta viscosity levels, compared with feeding the cont rol and substituted feeds in birds dissected on day 21, although no signifi cant differences in digesta viscosity levels were observed in birds dissect ed on day 35. Whole wheat feeding, either by dilution or substitution, sign ificantly increased gizzard sizes in birds dissected on day 21 and day 35. Neither dilution nor substitution of feeds with whole wheat (400 g/kg) sign ificantly affected the level of an Eimeria acervulina infection, as measure d by daily and total faecal oocyst yields.