Background:

Coccidiosis is the infectious disease with the greatest economic impact in poultry production. Additionally, chemotherapeutic growth promoters are being substituted for safer alternative strategies.

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of feeding oleoresins from chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) and turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) on the performance, survival rate, and the Productive Efficiency Index of broilers from 1 to 21d challenged by Eimeria sp.

Methods:

A total of 700 male 1-day-old chicks (Cobb 500) challenged with Eimeria sp, were assigned to a completely randomized design with four treatments: (1) negative control diet, without anticoccidial agent or growth promoters; (2) control diet+0.05% salinomycin; (3) negative control diet+100g/ton; and (4) negative control diet +140g/ton of test product (Curcuma longa L. plus Capsicum annuum oleoresins).

Results:

Body weight, weight gain, feed conversion and Productive Efficiency Index did not differ between broilers fed anticoccidial chemotherapeutics and oleoresins. In addition, there was no difference in feed intake and survival rate between dietary treatments.

Conclusion:

Broilers supplemented with chili pepper and turmeric oleoresins from 1 to 21d present similar body weight, weight gain, feed conversion, and Productive Efficiency Index compared to broilers supplemented with chemotherapeutic anticoccidials without affecting feed intake or survival rate.

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