Coccidiosis is one of the major parasitic diseases of poultry and is caused by the apicomplexan parasites Eimeria. Drugs and live vaccines are two main control measures of the disease; however, due to increasing concerns with prophylactic drug use and the high cost of vaccines, alternative control methods are needed. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of probiotic (Primalac), prebiotic (Fermacto) and butyric acid glycerides (Baby C4) on the development of coccidiosis on Ross 308 male broiler chickens. Seven hundred and four day-old broilers were randomly distributed in a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement with two levels of probiotic, prebiotic and butyric acid glycerides. Eight treatments with four replicates and twenty two birds per replicate were used. At 28 d of age, two birds of each replicate were infected with E. Acervulina, E. Maxima, and E. Tenella and were placed in the separate cages. At this time, control was divided in two groups (with and without supplementation of salinomycin). The birds of different treatments fed diets that contained without supplement (control), salinomaycin, probiotic, prebiotic, butyric acid glycerides, probiotic+prebiotic, probiotic+butyric acid glycerides, prebiotic+butyric acid glycerides and probiotic+prebiotic+butyric acid glycerides. Lesion scores (LS) and oocyst counts (OC) were performed 7 d post-infection. The birds fed diets that contained salinomycin, probiotic + prebiotic + butyric acid glycerides and probiotic + butyric acid glycerides had lowest LS and OC than other groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that there are potential feed additives that, used in combination, can partially protect broilers against coccidiosis.
