The effect of early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat on inflammatory responses and the morphological structure of selected organs of the immune system in young meat-type turkeys

Effect of treatments on the weights of the spleen and the bursa of Fabricius at 7 and 56 d of age. Immunological parameters in the blood plasma of turkeys at 7 d and 56 d of age. Morphological effects of early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat and vaccination on the bursa of Fabricius of 7-day-old turkeys. Morphological effects of early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat and vaccination on the thymus of 7-day-old turkeys. Morphological effects of early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat and vaccination on the spleen of 7-day-old turkeys. Morphological effects of early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat and vaccination on the bursa of Fabricius of 56-day-old turkeys. Morphological effects of early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat and vaccination on the thymus of 56-day-old turkeys. Morphological effects of early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat and vaccination on the spleen of 56-day-old turkeys. The experiment had a completely randomized design, with 8 groups (a total of 3,080 one-day old turkeys), 7 replicate pens per group and 55 birds per pen. The experiment had a 2-factorial design, with 4 treatments (C—control, M—monensin, E—enrofloxacin, and D—doxycycline) and 2 groups of birds (vaccinated and unvaccinated) per treatment. Control group birds did not receive the coccidiostat or antibiotics. Group M was administered monensin at 90 mg/kg feed for the first 5 d of life, group E received enrofloxacin at 10 mg/kg BW, added to drinking water, for the first 5 d of life, and group D received doxycycline at 50 mg/kg BW, added to drinking water, for the first 5 d of life. One-day old turkeys from groups C+, M+, E+, and D+ were administered live-attenuated vaccines against turkey rhinotracheitis (TRT) and Newcastle disease (ND) by coarse spray; 28-dayold birds were administered a subcutaneously injected inactivated vaccine against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT). Turkeys from groups C, M, E, and D were not vaccinated.