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The Effect of Penicillin on Early Mortality and Growth in Poults1
RESEARCH NOTES
179
THE EFFECT OF PENICILLIN ON EARLY MORTALITY AND GROWTH IN POULTS 1 J. A. HARPER AND W. E. BABCOCK Departments of Poultry Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon Received for publication October 8, 1952)
1
Published as Technical Paper No. 758 with the approval of the Director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. Contribution of the Departments of Poultry Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine.
Two lots received the regular station starter, 2 and the other two lots the same starter plus 4 grams of crystalline procaine penicillin per ton. Losses in the two control lots to two weeks were 25 and 30 poults whereas in the penicillin starter lots 1 and 3 poults died. The average weights in grams were 124.0 and 114.2 for the controls and 173.8 and 163.4 for penicillin lots. The second trial a lot of 47 Broad Breasted Bronze poults were started at hatching time on the regular starter and a similar number on penicillin starter. Twenty four hours later two additional lots of 40 poults each, hatched at the same time as the 47 poult lots, were started on the respective feeds. Losses to two weeks of age were 15 poults for those started on regular feed at hatching time and 22 for the group from which the feed was withheld for twenty-four hours. There was no loss in the lot fed the penicillin starter at hatching time and only 2 poults died in the 24 hour lot. In the lots brooded at hatching time average poult weights at two weeks of age were 140.8 and 221.6 grams for the control and penicillin starters, respectively. For the lots started 24 hours later the respective weights were 133.0 and 206.5 grams. The third trial consisted of 240 Broad Breasted Bronze poults divided into six 2
The ration consisted of the following ingredients in pounds: Gr. corn 17.5, gr. wheat 15, gr. oats 10, soybean meal 30, meat meal 5, herring meal 7.5, whey 5, milk 2.5, fermentation solubles .05, alfalfa meal 5, shell flour 1, bone meal 1, salt 0.5, vitamin A and D oil (2250 A-300 D) 0.5 and manganese sulphate 0.025.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at New York University on May 5, 2015
Poult mortality occurring during the first two week brooding period, in absence of specific infectious agents detectable in routine pathological examination, is commonly reported. Losses of this nature observed at the Oregon Station begin about the fourth day, reach a peak the eighth day and are generally over by the twelfth day. Sanitation precautions in hatchery and brooding management beyond those generally employed have not been found helpful in reducing this loss. With introduction of antibiotics to starting diets it was noted that mortality from the non-specific causes was reduced in many instances. Observations on poult brooding trials are reported showing the relation of penicillin to early losses at time of starting poults. Chilson and Patrick (1946) reported that withholding feed and water for 24, 48 and 72 hours after hatching resulted in 4.8, 11.5 and 29.3 percent mortality, respectively, up to 12 weeks of age. Previously Hammond (1944) ascribed early losses to result from a lack of water causing loose, slimy gizzard linings. Bolin et al. (1949) reported early mortality in chicks and poults as due to a virus infection. In the first trial duplicate lots of 40 Beltsville Small White poults were withheld 48 hours following hatching time before being placed in starting batteries.
180
RESEARCH NOTES
TABLE 1.
Withholding Time in Hours 0
24
48
Lot No.
Feed
1 2 3 4
Reg.
5 6 7 8
Reg. « Pen.
9 10 11 12
Reg.
a
Pen. a
a
U
Pen. 11
lin in the feed materially increased growth rate of poults as shown in Table 1. Poults receiving penicillin orally and fed diets with or without penicillin were in 5 of the 6 comparisons slightly heavier at two weeks of age than poults not receiving penicillin orally. The results indicate the desirability of including an antibiotic in poult starting diets to decrease mortality from nonspecific causes as well as for growth promoting effects. Further investigations are
—Effect of starting lime on potdt mortality and growth with and without penicillin in feed or oral penicillin Pen. Orally
Mortality—No.
Av. weight gms.
1 wk.
2 wk.
3 wk.
no yes no yes
9 3 3 1
2 3 1 1
0 0 0 0
11 6 4 2
17
no yes no yes
7 7 2 1
7 2 0 1
0 0 0 1
14 9 2 3
23
no yes no yes
4 5 0 2
2 3 0 1
1 0 0 0
7 8 0 3
15
in the starter ration mortality was markedly reduced compared to control lots. Penicillin given orally at the level used was not as effective in reducing losses as including penicillin in feed. A total of 55 poults died of 120 started in lots fed the regular starter. The postmortem diagnoses were as follows: omphalitis 21, coliform bacteria 2, non-specific nephritis 9, undetermined 12 and unsatisfactory 11. The diagnoses for 14 poults lost from penicillin fed lots were omphalitis 8, undetermined 2 and unsatisfactory 4. In all instances the inclusion of penicil-
Totals
6
5
3
0 wk.
2 wk.
3 wk.
57 59 59 58
168 176 223 249
294 319 375 444
51 51 52 53
123 143 . 214 202
229 245 405 390
48 48 47 47
136 148 180 188
241 283 379 393
suggested by the data to the possibility of using different antibiotics, higher levels of antibiotics, or a slow absorbing antibiotic pellet prior to brooding or shipping to avoid losses and speed early growth. REFERENCES
Bolin, F. M., K. F. Schlamb, R. L. Bryant and D. F. Eveleth, 1949. A virus infection of turkeys and chickens. Am. J. Vet. Res. 10:391-395. Chilson, W. T., and H. Patrick, 1946. Effect of withholding feed and water on early poult mortality and growth. Poultry Sci. 25:86-87. Hammond, J. C , 1944. Lack of water a cause of loose, slimy gizzard linings accompanying early mortality in poults. Poultry Sci. 23:477-480.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at New York University on May 5, 2015
lots of 40 poults each started at hatching time, 24 and 48 hours later and fed regular or penicillin starters. Twenty poults within each feeding treatment were given 200 micrograms orally of an aqueous suspension of procaine penicillin when removed from the incubator. Poults not started at once were held in poult boxes at a room temperature of 70-75° F. Results obtained are summarized in the accompanying table. In all lots where penicillin was included
179
THE EFFECT OF PENICILLIN ON EARLY MORTALITY AND GROWTH IN POULTS 1 J. A. HARPER AND W. E. BABCOCK Departments of Poultry Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon Received for publication October 8, 1952)
1
Published as Technical Paper No. 758 with the approval of the Director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. Contribution of the Departments of Poultry Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine.
Two lots received the regular station starter, 2 and the other two lots the same starter plus 4 grams of crystalline procaine penicillin per ton. Losses in the two control lots to two weeks were 25 and 30 poults whereas in the penicillin starter lots 1 and 3 poults died. The average weights in grams were 124.0 and 114.2 for the controls and 173.8 and 163.4 for penicillin lots. The second trial a lot of 47 Broad Breasted Bronze poults were started at hatching time on the regular starter and a similar number on penicillin starter. Twenty four hours later two additional lots of 40 poults each, hatched at the same time as the 47 poult lots, were started on the respective feeds. Losses to two weeks of age were 15 poults for those started on regular feed at hatching time and 22 for the group from which the feed was withheld for twenty-four hours. There was no loss in the lot fed the penicillin starter at hatching time and only 2 poults died in the 24 hour lot. In the lots brooded at hatching time average poult weights at two weeks of age were 140.8 and 221.6 grams for the control and penicillin starters, respectively. For the lots started 24 hours later the respective weights were 133.0 and 206.5 grams. The third trial consisted of 240 Broad Breasted Bronze poults divided into six 2
The ration consisted of the following ingredients in pounds: Gr. corn 17.5, gr. wheat 15, gr. oats 10, soybean meal 30, meat meal 5, herring meal 7.5, whey 5, milk 2.5, fermentation solubles .05, alfalfa meal 5, shell flour 1, bone meal 1, salt 0.5, vitamin A and D oil (2250 A-300 D) 0.5 and manganese sulphate 0.025.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at New York University on May 5, 2015
Poult mortality occurring during the first two week brooding period, in absence of specific infectious agents detectable in routine pathological examination, is commonly reported. Losses of this nature observed at the Oregon Station begin about the fourth day, reach a peak the eighth day and are generally over by the twelfth day. Sanitation precautions in hatchery and brooding management beyond those generally employed have not been found helpful in reducing this loss. With introduction of antibiotics to starting diets it was noted that mortality from the non-specific causes was reduced in many instances. Observations on poult brooding trials are reported showing the relation of penicillin to early losses at time of starting poults. Chilson and Patrick (1946) reported that withholding feed and water for 24, 48 and 72 hours after hatching resulted in 4.8, 11.5 and 29.3 percent mortality, respectively, up to 12 weeks of age. Previously Hammond (1944) ascribed early losses to result from a lack of water causing loose, slimy gizzard linings. Bolin et al. (1949) reported early mortality in chicks and poults as due to a virus infection. In the first trial duplicate lots of 40 Beltsville Small White poults were withheld 48 hours following hatching time before being placed in starting batteries.
180
RESEARCH NOTES
TABLE 1.
Withholding Time in Hours 0
24
48
Lot No.
Feed
1 2 3 4
Reg.
5 6 7 8
Reg. « Pen.
9 10 11 12
Reg.
a
Pen. a
a
U
Pen. 11
lin in the feed materially increased growth rate of poults as shown in Table 1. Poults receiving penicillin orally and fed diets with or without penicillin were in 5 of the 6 comparisons slightly heavier at two weeks of age than poults not receiving penicillin orally. The results indicate the desirability of including an antibiotic in poult starting diets to decrease mortality from nonspecific causes as well as for growth promoting effects. Further investigations are
—Effect of starting lime on potdt mortality and growth with and without penicillin in feed or oral penicillin Pen. Orally
Mortality—No.
Av. weight gms.
1 wk.
2 wk.
3 wk.
no yes no yes
9 3 3 1
2 3 1 1
0 0 0 0
11 6 4 2
17
no yes no yes
7 7 2 1
7 2 0 1
0 0 0 1
14 9 2 3
23
no yes no yes
4 5 0 2
2 3 0 1
1 0 0 0
7 8 0 3
15
in the starter ration mortality was markedly reduced compared to control lots. Penicillin given orally at the level used was not as effective in reducing losses as including penicillin in feed. A total of 55 poults died of 120 started in lots fed the regular starter. The postmortem diagnoses were as follows: omphalitis 21, coliform bacteria 2, non-specific nephritis 9, undetermined 12 and unsatisfactory 11. The diagnoses for 14 poults lost from penicillin fed lots were omphalitis 8, undetermined 2 and unsatisfactory 4. In all instances the inclusion of penicil-
Totals
6
5
3
0 wk.
2 wk.
3 wk.
57 59 59 58
168 176 223 249
294 319 375 444
51 51 52 53
123 143 . 214 202
229 245 405 390
48 48 47 47
136 148 180 188
241 283 379 393
suggested by the data to the possibility of using different antibiotics, higher levels of antibiotics, or a slow absorbing antibiotic pellet prior to brooding or shipping to avoid losses and speed early growth. REFERENCES
Bolin, F. M., K. F. Schlamb, R. L. Bryant and D. F. Eveleth, 1949. A virus infection of turkeys and chickens. Am. J. Vet. Res. 10:391-395. Chilson, W. T., and H. Patrick, 1946. Effect of withholding feed and water on early poult mortality and growth. Poultry Sci. 25:86-87. Hammond, J. C , 1944. Lack of water a cause of loose, slimy gizzard linings accompanying early mortality in poults. Poultry Sci. 23:477-480.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at New York University on May 5, 2015
lots of 40 poults each started at hatching time, 24 and 48 hours later and fed regular or penicillin starters. Twenty poults within each feeding treatment were given 200 micrograms orally of an aqueous suspension of procaine penicillin when removed from the incubator. Poults not started at once were held in poult boxes at a room temperature of 70-75° F. Results obtained are summarized in the accompanying table. In all lots where penicillin was included