Effect of Diet on the Performance of Broiler Chickens Fed Lasalocid in Combination with Growth Promotants

Lasalocid, a highly effective anticoccidial, was fed with several broiler growth promotants in three 8-week battery trials. A corn-soy ration was used in the first two trials and a rye-soy ration in the third. Birds were weighed at 1, 28, and 56 days, with feed intake recorded continuously and pigmentation measured at eight weeks. In the first trial, 0.0075% lasalocid was fed alone and in combination with 0.0025 or 0.005% roxarsone, 0.0055% zinc bacitracin or 0.00044% lincomycin. Improved growth and feed conversion were seen with all combinations and increased pigmentation with roxarsone. In the second study, 0.0125% lasalocid and 0.005% roxarsone were fed alone and combined. Roxarsone alone and in combination with lasalocid increased pigmentation. In the third trial, with the rye-soy ration, lasalocid was fed at 0.0075 or 0.0125% alone and in combination with 0.005% roxarsone and/or 0.0055% zinc bacitracin. Increased weight gain, improved feed conversion, or increased pigmentation were seen with the various combinations and the magnitude of response, especially growth, was far greater than that obtained with the corn-soy ration. Combinations of lasalocid and the broiler growth promotants, at the concentrations tested, were compatible and safe.