Coccidiosis: Evaluation of coccidiostats by mortality, weight gains, and fecal scores

Abstract

The Morehouse-Baron Method of evaluating anticoccidial activity involves the comparison of mortality and fecal scores in medicated-infected birds versus nonmedicated-infected controls as well as weight gains in the medicated-infected groups versus the nonmedicated-noninfected controls. The primary criterion is mortality, and the ratios of mean gains and fecal scores are used as indicators of morbidity. The three criteria are combined and used as a Performance Index. Efficacy data on Novastat (active ingredients: 0.025% Aklomide and 0.02% Sulfanitran) 1 1 Salsbury Laboratories, Charles City, Iowa, 50616: Novastat and Novastat-3 are registered trade names for products produced by this company. and Novastat-3 (active ingredients: 0.025% Aklomide, 0.02% Sulfanitran, and 0.005% Roxarsone) 1 were used as an example of the description of the method. The performance index for Novastat was 287 and for Novastat-3 it was 291, compared with an index of only 99 for the nonmedicated-infected controls, proving both products to be very effective in the prevention and control of Eimeria tenella infection in chicks.