A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening Rabbits
For years, there has been an increasing interest in natural alternatives to the conventional coccidiostats applied as feed additives, which have been used for decades to prevent coccidiosis in poultry and fattening rabbits. This study aimed to compare the possible anticoccidial effects of oregano oi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Parasitologia |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6772/4/1/4 |
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| author | Florian Lohkamp Julia Hankel Andreas Beineke Josef Kamphues Christina Strube |
| author_facet | Florian Lohkamp Julia Hankel Andreas Beineke Josef Kamphues Christina Strube |
| author_sort | Florian Lohkamp |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For years, there has been an increasing interest in natural alternatives to the conventional coccidiostats applied as feed additives, which have been used for decades to prevent coccidiosis in poultry and fattening rabbits. This study aimed to compare the possible anticoccidial effects of oregano oil to the established substance diclazuril in growing rabbits. The control group (CG) received a non-supplemented basal compound feed, to which either diclazuril (1 mg/kg; DG) or oregano oil (75 mg/kg; OG) was added. In each of the three trials, subgroups of 50 rabbits each were assigned to one of the three experimental groups (CG, DG and OG). Natural <i>Eimeria</i> infection was monitored weekly by fecal oocyst counts and <i>Eimeria</i> species identification following sporulation. Additionally, the performance parameters were determined at the middle and the end of the trials, and the deceased rabbits were subjected to necropsy. Neither oocyst excretion nor the performance parameters differed significantly between the three experimental groups. <i>Eimeria media</i>, <i>Eimeria magna</i>, <i>Eimeria perforans</i> and <i>Eimeria exigua</i> were identified as the occurring species. The highest animal losses (16.0%) occurred in the OG, while the losses were 12.7% in the DG and 12.0% in the CG. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Overall, neither diclazuril nor oregano oil was superior to the non-supplemented feed. This underlines the importance of diagnostics, as this study’s results indicate that in the absence of the highly pathogenic <i>Eimeria</i> species, economic rabbit rearing and fattening is achievable without the use of coccidiostats. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:56:45Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-6772 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:56:45Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasitologia |
| spelling | doaj.art-fb2f6d51c79a4095991905621aac480c2024-03-27T13:58:42ZengMDPI AGParasitologia2673-67722024-02-0141476010.3390/parasitologia4010004A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening RabbitsFlorian Lohkamp0Julia Hankel1Andreas Beineke2Josef Kamphues3Christina Strube4Institute for Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, GermanyInstitute for Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Buenteweg 17, D-30559 Hannover, GermanyInstitute for Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, GermanyInstitute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Buenteweg 17, D-30559 Hannover, GermanyFor years, there has been an increasing interest in natural alternatives to the conventional coccidiostats applied as feed additives, which have been used for decades to prevent coccidiosis in poultry and fattening rabbits. This study aimed to compare the possible anticoccidial effects of oregano oil to the established substance diclazuril in growing rabbits. The control group (CG) received a non-supplemented basal compound feed, to which either diclazuril (1 mg/kg; DG) or oregano oil (75 mg/kg; OG) was added. In each of the three trials, subgroups of 50 rabbits each were assigned to one of the three experimental groups (CG, DG and OG). Natural <i>Eimeria</i> infection was monitored weekly by fecal oocyst counts and <i>Eimeria</i> species identification following sporulation. Additionally, the performance parameters were determined at the middle and the end of the trials, and the deceased rabbits were subjected to necropsy. Neither oocyst excretion nor the performance parameters differed significantly between the three experimental groups. <i>Eimeria media</i>, <i>Eimeria magna</i>, <i>Eimeria perforans</i> and <i>Eimeria exigua</i> were identified as the occurring species. The highest animal losses (16.0%) occurred in the OG, while the losses were 12.7% in the DG and 12.0% in the CG. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Overall, neither diclazuril nor oregano oil was superior to the non-supplemented feed. This underlines the importance of diagnostics, as this study’s results indicate that in the absence of the highly pathogenic <i>Eimeria</i> species, economic rabbit rearing and fattening is achievable without the use of coccidiostats.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6772/4/1/4<i>Eimeria</i>coccidiacoccidiosis preventioncoccidiostatfeed additives<i>Origanum vulgare</i> |
| spellingShingle | Florian Lohkamp Julia Hankel Andreas Beineke Josef Kamphues Christina Strube A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening Rabbits Parasitologia <i>Eimeria</i> coccidia coccidiosis prevention coccidiostat feed additives <i>Origanum vulgare</i> |
| title | A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening Rabbits |
| title_full | A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening Rabbits |
| title_fullStr | A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening Rabbits |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening Rabbits |
| title_short | A Field Study Evaluating the Effects of Diclazuril and Oregano Oil for the Prevention of Coccidiosis in Fattening Rabbits |
| title_sort | field study evaluating the effects of diclazuril and oregano oil for the prevention of coccidiosis in fattening rabbits |
| topic | <i>Eimeria</i> coccidia coccidiosis prevention coccidiostat feed additives <i>Origanum vulgare</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6772/4/1/4 |
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