STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF SOME ANTICOCCIDIAL DRUGS ON CHICKS

Abstract

The present investigation deals with the possible alterations in growth and in histological structure that might occur in some orgaris of the developing chicks after oral administration of two commonly used anticoccidial drugs; salinomycin and robenidine, in Egypt.

Two doses of each drug were used; a low and a high dose, which were calculated to be equivalent to 1110 and 1/3 of the LD50 of each drug. The drugs were orally administered daily for twenty one days.

A total number of one hundred Hubbard growing chicks (10 days old) were used. They were divided into five groups each comprising twenty chicks. The first and the second groups received a low and a high dose of salinomycin (13.5 mg/kg body wt. and 45 mg/kg body wt. respectively). The third and fourth groups received a low and a high dose of robenidine (19.5 mg/kg body wt. and 65 mg/kg body wt. respectively). The fifth group served as control.

The present study has been concerned with the body weight gain, haematological parameters (including R.B.Cs count and haemoglobin content) and histological structure of the liver, testis and ovary in treated chicks compared with the control untreated ones.