Udk 619:616.993.192.1:636.5 the Influence of a Diet of Mixed Feed Containing Zeolite on the Course of Cecal Coccidiosis in Broilers

In order to investigate cecal coccidiosis in broilers fed zeolite mixtures, two experiments were performed. The first was carried out in vitro, where the concentration of anticoccidial medicine not adsorbed by zeolites was determined by a spectrophotometric method. In the second experiment 100 one-day old broilers were divided into two groups that were fed with mixed feed containing the anticoccidial (salinomycin-Na) with or without a zeolite additive. Two to 7 days after artificial infection with an Eimeria tenella culture, the birds were killed and pathoanatomical, pathohistological and coprological investigations carried out. The results showed that the intensity of infection was more pronounced in animals that received salinomycin-Na and zeolite in their feed than in those that received no zeolite. Both the experiment in vitro as well as the coprological investigation showed that bonding of salinomycin-Na by zeolite occurred, leaving a smaller amount of anticoccidial, that was not able to provide the anticipated protective effect.