Furadroxyl as a Growth Stimulant in Broiler Diets

C/P

RATIO FOR TURKEY BREEDERS

Robblee, A. R., R. Renner and D. R. Clandinin, 1957. Some observations on the effect of selection of males on the percentage hatch of turkey eggs. Poultry Sci. 36: 87-90. Scott, H. M., L. D. Matterson and E. P. Singsen, 1947. Nutritional factors influencing growth and efficiency of feed utilization. 1. The effect of the source of carbohydrate. Poultry Sci. 26: 554. Sibbald, I. R., J. P. Bowland, A. R. Robblee and R. T. Berg, 1957. Apparent digestible energy and nitrogen in the food of the weanling rat. J. Nutrition, 61: 71-85. Spring, J. L., and W. S. Wilkinson, 1957. The influence of dietary protein and energy level on body composition of broilers. Poultry Sci. 36:1159.

Furadroxyl as a Growth Stimulant in Broiler Diets R. D. CREEK, 1 M. Y. DENDY 2 AND S. W. HINNERS Animal Industry Department, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois (Received for publication May 29, 1958)

D

ODD and Stillman (1944) prepared a series of furan derivatives and tested them for antibacterial activity, discovering that a nitro group substituted for hydrogen in the number 5 position of the furan nucleus conferred marked antimicrobial activity and that substitution of various radicals on the carbon atom in the number 2 position produced compounds varying in ability to affect various microorganisms. Several nitrofurans are well known to the medical and veterinary professions today; two find practical use in the poultry field: nitrofurazone [(5nitro-2-furaldehyde semicarbazone)] and furazolidone [N(5-nitro-2 furfurylidene)1-amino-oxazolidone]. They are effective against various pathogenic protozoa and salmonellae (Grumbles et al., 1954; Roberts, 1954; Lucas, 1955; and Smith, 1955). This paper deals primarily with the ef-

1 Present address: Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. 2 Present address: Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

feet of another nitrofuran, Furadroxyl [5-nitro-2-furaldehyde-2-(2-hydroxyethyl) semicarbazone], on the growth rate of broiler chicks. This drug is still restricted to experimental use and to our knowledge there is no literature dealing with its effect on growth in poultry. EXPERIMENTAL

In Trials 1 and 2, straight run chicks from a Vantress male X Arbor Acre female cross were used; in Trial 3, White Rock males X Arbor Acre females. The chicks were wingbanded and randomly assigned to their experimental pens, starting treatment at 1 day of age. Trials 1 and 3 were conducted in floor pens with clean litter of crushed cobs. Trial 2 was conducted in battery brooders. Rations and water were supplied ad libitum. At four days of age Newcastle and infectious bronchitis vaccines were administered in the drinking water. The basal ration is presented in Table 1, and variable ingredients replaced ground yellow corn whenever added. Aureomycin

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Elvehjem, 1955. Effect of energy:protein ratio on growth rate, efficiency, feathering and fat deposition in chickens. Poultry Sci. 34: 1206. Lockhart, W. C , and R. H. Thayer, 1955. Energyprotein relationships in turkey poult starters. Poultry Sci. 34: 1208. Matterson, L. D., L. M. Potter, L. D. Stinson and E. P. Singsen, 1955. Studies on the effect of varying protein and energy levels in poultry rations on growth and feed efficiency. Poultry Sci. 34: 1210. Peterson, D. W., C. R. Grau and N. F. Peek, 1954. Growth and food consumption in relation to dietary levels of protein and fibrous bulk. J. Nutrition, 52: 241-258.

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R. D. CREEK, M. Y. DENDY AND S. W. HINNERS TABLE 1.—Basal ration

Ingredient

% in feed 45.38 38.00 5.00 2.50 1.00 2.00 2.50 2.50 0.05 0.50 0.15 0.25 0.0125 0.10 0.011 0.05 100.00

1 Containing 2 gm. of riboflavin, 4 gm. of pantothenic acid, and 9 gm. of niacin per pound.

and procaine penicillin were used as reference standards at the levels commonly added to broiler diets (Heuser, 1955). Variance analyses were computed from individual chick weights recorded at the termination of the project. Significance between the standard and experimental diet was tested by the use of the single degree of freedom method (Snedecor, 1946). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Trial 1 was conducted to study the effect of Furadroxyl on growth, feed efficiency, and mortality. A summary of the results is found in Table 2. The statistical analyses reveal a significant growth response from both Furadroxyl and Aureomycin, but not penicillin. The optimum range for Furadroxyl appears to be 10 to 20 gm. per ton. The use of 25 gm. did not produce optimum response; however, nitrofurazone was used as a coccidiostat, and in view of its chemical relationship to Furadroxyl it is impossible to assume that any toxicity came from Furadroxyl per se. Feed efficiency was markedly improved by Aureomycin, and also Furadroxyl

T A B L E 2.—The effect of various feed additives growth and feed efficiency of broiler chicks in floor pens1'2'3^ Av. wt. (gms.) Treatment drug

Gm./ ton

Basal Penicillin Aureomycin Furadroxyl Furadroxyl Furadroxyl Furadroxyl Furadroxyl

5 10 5 10 IS 20 25

1

ton.2

Male

Female

Av.

1,396 1,401 1,468 1,397 1,441 1,443 1,468 1,441

1,089 1,123 1,166 1,187 1,225 1,185 1,181 1,125

1,243 1,262 1,317** 1,292** 1,333** 1,314** 1,325** 1,283*

on

Feed effi- — - ™ ^ MorFeed/ tality weight 2.71 2.70 2.53 2.60 2.59 2.60 2.56 2.70

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Corn, ground, yellow Soybean oil meal (44% protein) Animal fat (stabilized with BHT) Bone meal, steamed Limestone Alfalfa meal (17% protein) Dried whey Fish solubles Manganese sulfate (70%) Iodized salt Methionine (98%) Choline chloride (25%) Vitamin Bi2 (20 mg./lb.) Vitamin supplement (2-4-9)' Dry vitamin Ds (3,000 units/gm.) Dry vitamin A (10,000 units/gm.)

within the optimum response range. Examination of the body weight data shows that the females had an average response to treatment nearly double that of the males, and statistical analyses reveal a highly significant sex-treatment interaction. Trial 2 was designed to determine the maximum dietary tolerance of Furadroxyl when given without other nitrofurans. The data (Table 3) show that the drug at doses up to 200 gm. per ton as measured by growth produces no harmful effects. The inclusion of 400 gm. per ton caused marked growth depression and 800 gm. caused further depression and mortality. The toxicity was chronic as mortality continued throughout the entire 45 day experimental period. Macroscopic examination revealed no kidney or liver damage, nor were rachitic symptoms present. Birds receiving 800 gm. per ton were poorly feathered. Trial 3 was conducted to obtain further data on the growth-promoting action of Furadroxyl and the possibility of an additive toxicity of Furadroxyl and nitrofurazone. The results (Table 4) show a highly significant growth response from Furadroxyl at either 10 or 25 gm. per ton

0.66 1.32

Nitrofurazone was fed continually at the rate of 50 gm. per

The data are taken from three replicate pens of 50 birds each, or a total of 150 birds per treatment. 3 The use of a single asterisk (*) denotes significance of the treatment over the basal at the 5% level, use of the double asterisk 4(**) denotes significance at 1% level. Replicas were combined at 63 days.

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F U R A D R O X Y L AS A G R O W T H

TABLE 3.—Maximum dietary tolerance of Furadroxyl fed to broiler chicks in battery brooders1-2'3'* Treatment

J

Furadroxyl Furadroxyl Furadroxyl Furadroxyl Furadroxyl

50 100 200 400 800

^

Av. wt. (gm.) 884 867

923 807*' 626*'

% Feed efficiency Mortality Feed/weight 5.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 55.0

2.09 1.84 2.01 2.20 -(3)

1 The data are taken from 2 replicate pens of 30 birds each, or a total of 60 birds per treatment. 2 The double asterisk (**) denotes a significant difference at the 1% level between the two high levels of Furadroxyl and the ration containing 50 gm. per ton. 3 Feed efficiency was impossible to calculate at this level because ofextremely high, continuing mortality. * Chick replicas and sexes were combined at 45 days.

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TABLE 4.—A comparison of the growth-promoting properties of Furadroxyl and Aureomycin when fed to chicks on litter in the presence or absence of nitrofurazone1^^ Additives, gm ./ton basal ration Nitro- Aureofurazone mycin

, —. — — 50 50 50 50

Furadroxyl

„ .

— — . 10 — — — 10

10 25

— — 10 25

—

%

Av. wt. (gm.)

Feed efficiency Feed/weight

Mortality

1,341 1,381** 1,393** 1,321 1,273 1,244 1,316* 1,334"

2.86 2.78 2.77 2.91 2.98 3.09 2.88 2.86

1.33 .66 2.00 2.66 2.00 2.00 2.66 2.00

1 The data are taken from three replicate pens of 50 birds each, or a total of 150 birds per treatment. 2 The use of a single asterisk (*) denotes significance of the treatment over the basal at the 5% level and use of the double asterisk (**) denotes significance at the 1% level. In this case a specific treatment was compared to the basal containing the same amount of nitrofurazone. 3 Chick replicas were combined at 63 days.

It is interesting to note that the best growth response in both Trials 1 and 3 was obtained with diets containing Furadroxyl. The growth depression observed from nitrofurazone is rather surprising since the work was done in floor pens with litter. Apparently, conditions were not conducive to the development of coccidiosis. Berg et al. (1956a) reported that nitrofurazone reduced growth during the early part of the growing period, but that this depression was overcome by market time. In other studies this same group (1956b) noted a slight stimulatory response from the drug. Harwood and Stunz (1950) and Newberne and McEwen (1957) found nitrofurazone to be antagonistic to vitamins of the B-complex; however, in each case either a borderline vitamin deficiency existed, or an extremely high level of nitrofurazone was used. Creek and Dendy (1956) noted that response to nitrofurans varied in different basal rations. Paul et al. (1956) concluded that nitrofurazone blocked the formation of acetyl-coenzyme A from pyruvate and postulated an interference with an internal autoxidizable electron carrier. If this be true, dietary variations in oxidation-reduction com-

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in the absence of nitrofurazone. In the presence of nitrofurazone, Furadroxyl produced a significant response at 25 gm. per ton but at 10 gm. per ton there was a marked depression in growth. The latter phenomenon can possibly be attributed to one of the replicates whose mean was far below that of the other two. This discrepancy could not be explained by any valid reason except normal variation, so the mean of this replicate was used in computing the overall average of the treatment. The unusual variation of the replicate is unfortunate. However, review of data from Trials 1 and 3 will show that birds receiving both nitrofurans were significantly heavier than those receiving nitrofurazone only in six of the seven treatments where both drugs were used. Birds on nitrofurazone averaged 68 gm. less than those not receiving it. This difference was highly significant. Aureomycin failed to stimulate growth in the absence of nitrofurazone, but appeared to overcome the slight growth-inhibition observed with nitrofurazone in both Trials 1 and 3. Mortality was confined largely to the starting period, and was unaffected by any of the drugs. Feed efficiency appeared to vary with the rate of growth, the faster growing treatments having better efficiency, and vice versa.

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STIMULANT

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R. D. CREEK, M. Y. DENDY AND S. W. HINNERS

ponents might logically account for varying responses of nitrofurans in different rations. SUMMARY

ACKNOWLEDGMENT This project was supported in part by Eaton Laboratories of Norwich, New York. REFERENCES Berg, L. R., C. M. Hamilton and G. E. Bearse, 1956a. The effect of furazolidone and other drugs on the growth of chicks raised on old litter containing coccidia. Poultry Sci. 35: 876-884. Berg, L. R., C. M. Hamilton and G. E. Bearse, 1956b. Nitrofurazone and nicarbazin as growth stimulants and coccidiostatic agents for young chicks. Poultry Sci. 35: 1394-1396.

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1. Furadroxyl stimulated growth of broiler chicks, with 10 gm. per ton being adequate for maximum response. 2. In the absence of other nitrofurans in the diet, chicks could tolerate 200 gm. per ton of Furadroxyl without toxic affects. 3. The slight depression of growth observed with nitrofurazone as the sole chemotherapeutic additive appears to be overcome by the presence of Aureomycin or Furadroxyl.

Creek, R. D., and M. Y. Dendy, 1956. The role of Furoxone in broiler diets. Unpublished data, Dept. Animal Industries, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois. Dodd, M. D., and W. B. Stillman, 1944. The in vitro bacteriostatic action of some simple furan derivatives. J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 82: 11-18. Grumbles, L. C , F. K. Wills and W. A. Boney, Jr., 1954. Furazolidone in the treatment of fowl typhoid in turkeys. J. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc. 124: 217-219. Harwood, P. W., and D. I. Stunz, 1950. The efficacy of nitrofurazone fed continuously for the control of avian coccidiosis under conditions of natural infection. Proc. Helm. Soc. Wash. 17: 103-119. Heuser, G. F., 1955. Feeding Poultry, second edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. Lucas, F. R., 1955. Furazolidone in the treatment of an outbreak of fowl typhoid in chickens. Poultry Sci. 34: 440-442. Newberne, P. M., and G. L. McEwen, 1957. The influence of various levels of nitrofurazone on growth and development of chicks. Poultry Sci. 36: 739-743. Paul, M. F., M. J. Bryson and C. Harrington, 1956. Effect of Furacin on pyruvate metabolism. J. Biol. Chem. 219: 463-471. Roberts, H. D. B., 1954. Furoxone in the control of fowl typhoid and blackhead. Eaton Laboratories, Norwich, New York. Smith, H. W., 1955. The treatment of experimental Salmonella typhimurium infection in turkey poults and chicks. Vet. Rec. 67: 749-752. Snedecor, G. W., 1946. Statistical Methods. The Iowa State College Press, Ames, Iowa.