Effects of dietary inclusion of XVET’s Turbo Tox on Gumboro disease status of broiler chickens

Type of trial: Field Trial
Location of trial: Iran
Experimented animals: 240 one-day-old broiler chicken (Ross 308)
Trial aim: Assess the effects of dietary inclusion with TURBO TOX (XVET GmbH) on the Gumboro disease antibody status of broiler chickens.

Introduction:

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) or Gumboro is a disease affecting poultry health which increases mortality due to bursal atrophy in the broiler. Another cause of this disease is immunosuppression. Therefore, enhancing immunity is a good strategy to support the animals against this disease.

Studies have shown that β-glucans from Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) can stimulate cellular and humoral responses and increase resistance (Immunostimulatory effect). On the other hand, it has been studied that MOS and β-glucans can enhance broilers performance. Adding a combination of MOS and β-glucans from a good origin to the diet of poultry can improve zootechnical parameters and enhance the immune response. XVET’s Turbo Tox is a rich combination of MOS, β-glucans, organic acid, and other beneficial ingredients that will help to boost the immune system and bring along other benefits.

In this study, Turbo Tox was tested along with Gumboro vaccination to evaluate the immune-modulatory effect. 

Material and methods:

The trial was performed in broilers (males and females) for 6 weeks in a broiler house with floor pens, utilizing rice bran as litter. 
The chicks were randomly distributed into 2 dietary groups:  

Turbo Tox group: Birds in this treatment group received Turbo Tox (1 g Turbo Tox per kg of feed) from day 1 to 42. 
Control group: this group of birds received a control diet that did not contain Turbo Tox. 

For each treatment 3 replicate floor pens were used with 40 birds placed in each pen. The initial weights of birds were recorded. All experimental birds were provided sugar water on arrival from the hatchery until they were provided the experimental feeds. 

The vaccination program was as below: 
· Day 5 – Bronchitis vaccination by drinking water 
· Day 8 – Influenza (inactivated) injection + B1-Newcastle vaccine as eye drops 
· Day 10 – Bronchitis vaccination by drinking water
· Day 15 – Gumboro vaccination by drinking water 
· Day 18 – Newcastle vaccination by drinking water
· Day 35 – Newcastle vaccination by drinking water 

Antibodies against Gumboro disease were measured at age of 1, 14, 28, 42, 18 birds by randomly taken from all groups. Body weights and feed consumption were recorded weekly. Mortality was recorded daily.

Results: 

The data were statistically analyzed with a confidence interval variance of 95%.

Conclusion:

Test results in this study showed that dietary birds fed with Turbo Tox had lower FCR (Better efficiency) than those fed the control diet throughout the experiment. Birds fed Turbo Tox had greater body weight gain than those of fed control diet.

On day 1, the Gumboro titer was similar among the treatments while there was a titer increase in the Turbo Tox fed birds on day 14. Birds fed with Turbo tox had greater Gumboro titer than those of fed control diet at age 28 and 42 (posterior to vaccination). 

The complete study can be found as a poster published on the 6th Iranian Animal science congress (Reference is available upon request.)