Evaluation of lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) as an anticoccidal agent in broilers production in Calabar, Nigeria.

摘要

An assessment of the potentials of lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) as a possible intervention against coccidiosis of poultry was undertaken. The population for the study was made up of 60 day old (Chi-hatchery strain) broilers that were managed intensively and fed conventional feeds. At 2 weeks of age, litter materials with coccidial organisms from an infected farm were gathered, transferred, spread and mixed with the litter materials of the broilers so as to provoke natural infection in the birds. A week latter (at 3 weeks of age) the broiler birds came down with coccidiosis. The birds were then divided into 4 treatments of 15 broilers each and each group administered different concentration levels of the lemon grass extract at 0% (control), 10%, 15%, 20%. Postmortem examination was carried out prior to and after the administration of the extract of various concentrations. The mean levels of infection of the experimental birds initially were 21.5%, 32.2%, 28.6% and 21.5% for treatments 1, 2, 3, 4 respectively while the final levels of infection after the administration of the extract were 50%, 0%, 6.36% and 18.8% for treatments 1, 2, 3, 4 respectively. It was observed that in treatment 2 with 10% concentration of the extract, there was complete clearance in the level of infection while in treatment 3 (15%) concentration, the infection was reduced drastically (but not cleared). In treatment 4 (20%) level concentration of the extract, there was a very slight reduction in the level of infection as the organisms remained static while in treatment 1, the control, at (0%) concentration of the extract, there was significant increase in the level of infection. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the levels of infection after the administration of the intervention. By inference, lemon grass extract, (Cymbopogon flexuosus) at 10% concentration level was most effective in the treatment of coccidiosis infection in broiler birds (poultry).