Feed and water consumption and performance of male and female broilers fed salinomycin and maduramicin followed by a withdrawal ration.

A 3 x 2 factorial floor pen experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding salinomycin (60 ppm) or maduramicin (5 ppm) for 49 days followed by a 3-day withdrawal ration upon both male and female broiler chickens in a coccidia-free environment. Body weights, feed intake, and water consumption were recorded at 28, 49, and 52 days of age. Feed efficiency and overall mortalities were also measured. Inclusion of either ionophore into the ration had no effect on final body weight, but improved feed conversion (P less than .05). Birds fed maduramicin drank more than the nonmedicated birds (P less than .05), which in turn, drank more than the birds fed salinomycin (P less than .05).