Volume 15, Issue 1: 2025 - Article 182

Abstract
The comparative efficacy of Sulphadimidine, Totrazuril and Amprolium on broiler chickens naturally infected with Eimeria species was investigated. A total of forty day old broiler chicks were used for the study. They were randomly assigned to four groups (Groups A – D) of ten birds each. The broilers were reared on deep litter, and they came down with natural Eimeria infection/coccidiosis on the fourth week. Clinical signs such as bloody diarrhoea, weakness and ruffled feathers were observed following establishment of the Eimeria infection at the fourth week in the broilers. Birds in groups A, B and C were treated with Totralzuril, Amprolium and Sulphadimidine, respectively, while those in group D were the untreated control. Following establishment of the infection, a drop in the packed cell volume of the birds was observed. A return to normal values after treatment with the three anti-coccidial drugs was recorded. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the mean body weights of the broilers in all the groups. The faecal oocysts output [oocysts per gramme (OPG) of faeces] of all the treated groups decreased significantly post-treatment. However, Group B birds (treated with Amprolium) showed the greatest decrease in oocyst output from 149,500 OPG to 100 OPG by day 5 of treatment. This study showed that Amprolium was more effective than Sulphadimidine and Totrazuril in reducing Eimeria faecal oocysts output, and thus in the treatment of coccidiosis in broilers naturally infected with Eimeria species.


Keywords: Coccidiosis; Eimeria species; Broiler chickens; Amprolium; Totralzuril; Sulphonamides.

How to cite this article:
Okoroafor ON, Nzeakor TA, Arinze U and Ogunniran TM (2025). Comparison of the efficacy of three commonly used anti-coccidial drugs on broiler chickens naturally infected with Eimeria species. Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences, 15(1): 980 – 988.

*Correspondence: E-mail:     terry.ezeudu@unn.edu.ng      Phone: +2348038043211

Comparison of the efficacy of three commonly used anti-coccidial drugs on broiler chickens naturally infected with Eimeria species
Obianuju N. Okoroafor ¹, Terry A. Nzeakor ^{2 *}, Ugochukwu Arinze ¹, Temitope M. Ogunniran <sup>1

1</sup> Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
² Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.

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