This poultry integrator produces ~50 million broilers per year and employs its own veterinary service team. For a while, the veterinary service team was looking for a tool to independently follow up and monitor the health status of their broiler production. In 2019, Aviapp® was selected for its ease of use, flexibility in analysis and transparency. The veterinarian team performed intestinal health scoring which included coccidiosis scoring (Johnson and Reid, 1970) and dysbacteriosis scoring (Teirlynch et al., 2011). Table 1 shows a summary of the coccidiostat programs applied from 2019 to 2020.
The most frequently used programs, before the introduction of Monimax® to the Polish market, were a full nicarbazin/narasin program (39 flocks), a shuttle with nicarbazin/narasin followed by Sacox® (24 flocks) or a full Coxidin® program (20 flocks). When Monimax® was launched in 2020, the Polish integrator switched to this new coccidiostat product as they were experiencing some underlying coccidiosis issues.
Analyzing gut health data over time allows for a comparison of the different coccidiostats programs (Figure 1).
When looking in more detail at the coccidiosis scores over time, differences in the Eimeria maxima prevalence were noted (Figure 2).
Figures 1 and 2 show that the dysbacteriosis scores and the prevalence of E. maxima followed a similar trend, namely a rise from September 2019 onward with a peak in February-April 2020. After that, the values decreased again.
E. maxima is an often-underestimated Eimeria species. Lesions are not very spectacular and often go undetected. Only when specific attention is given to this species can the full impact be appreciated. When fluctuations are seen over time it is important to take this into account as E. maxima can have a clear negative impact on dysbacteriosis scores, antimicrobial treatments, and bird performance. E. maxima causes damage in a very critical area of the intestinal tract of chickens. Also, higher E. maxima scores can be related to higher dysbacteriosis scores which are linked to poor performance and higher incidence of antimicrobial treatments.
Feedback data from the integrator after switching to Monimax® showed an increased in EPEF (European Production Efficiency Factor) by 20 points (reaching 405) and fewer problems associated with Clostridium perfringens were seen. Consequently, fewer antimicrobial treatments were needed.
Aviapp® allows this integrator to independently monitor, analyse, and follow up the coccidiosis and dysbacteriosis situation over time. Any Aviapp® user can objectively evaluate the performance of their coccidiostat programs in a clear and transparent manner, ultimately creating trust, strengthening relationships, and improving bird performance. This analysis can be performed by a member of the Huvepharma® technical team as required by the customer.
