Coccidiosis in Broilers: the Effective use of Anticoccidial Drugs

SummaryAlthough anticoccidial drugs are used intensively in modern broiler production, subclinical outbreaks of coccidiosis are still a cause of economic loss. The value of some drugs has been diminished by the emergence of resistant strains and others have proved too toxic during use in the field.Predicting the effective life of an anticoccidial drug is difficult, as laboratory testing and trials during development may not be sufficient to cover all eventualities during field use.An understanding of the positive and negative properties of anticoccidial drugs is necessary to achieve the optimum benefits in broiler production. Furthermore only adequate monitoring and evaluation techniques of anticoccidial drugs will enable the industry to obtain maximum control of coccidiosis. Effective control in broiler production requires careful choice of anticoccidial drug to be used, routine monitoring of flocks to evaluate the performance of the particular drug chosen, and good flock management with cleaning and disinfection of houses between crops.