Two nitrofuran feed additives, 0.011%
nihydrazone and a combination of 0.0055%
nitrofurazone and 0.0008%
furazolidone, improved
weight gains and feed conversions in chickens with "air sac
infection." Both
nitrofurans caused a significant reduction in the total chickens condemned at the dressing plant from this disease, but
nihydrazone gave the best results.
Nihydrazone(*), a new nitrofuran feed additive for chickens, was found by Wolfgang et al. (1) to be effective against
coccidiosis due to Eimeria tenella and E. necatrix. In chickens
nihydrazone was shown by Edgar et al. (2) to result in fewer chickens condemned from "air sac
infection" than with any other
drug used. Rosenberg et al. (3) found
nihydrazone caused significant reduction in condemnations due to this disease. Cosgrove (4) showed that
nihydrazone prevented an outbreak of cecal
coccidiosis, reduced the incidence of "air sac
infection," improved
weight gains, feed conversions and livability. Bierer (5) found
nihydrazone active against fowl
typhoid. Harwood et al. (6) reported bifuran(**) effective against E. tenella and E. necatrix
coccidiosis and it has been used commercially for this purpose. Bierer (5) (7) found Bifuran(***) active in prevention of pullorum disease and fowl
typhoid in chicks. The mode of action of
nihydrazone and
nitrofurazone against E. tenella
coccidiosis was shown by Johnson and Van Ryzin (8). This production efficiency study was undertaken to evaluate
nihydrazone and bifuran in the presence of "air sac
infection" and concomitant diseases under field conditions. Camden (9) states that the only satisfactory test of a
drug is the performance it gives under field conditions.
Nihydrazone (1) (5) and Bifuran (5) (6) have both antibacterial and antiprotozoal activity and under field conditions, normal densities of bacterial and other parasitic organisms are encountered (9). Thus a coccidiostat having antibacterial and antiprotozoal properties is desirable (7).