Oregano oil for turkeys
Intensive turkey farming can be a major challenge. As turkey fattening takes significantly longer than broiler fattening and is associated with considerably higher management and feed costs, preventive health care plays an even more important role in avoiding premature losses during the fattening process. The primary goal is to avoid diseases through optimal stable management and preventive health care such as vaccinations or vitamin supplements.
Natural feed supplements can be an alternative to unnecessary medical treatments. Oregano essential oil has been shown to have antimicrobial, immunostimulant and antioxidant properties. More than 50 different active ingredients are responsible for the synergistic biological activity of oregano oil. “For this reason, it is important to make sure to use a natural, but also highly standardized oregano oil such as DOSTO® Oregano, which was used in the tests shown below. This is the only way to ensure a consistent composition of the active ingredients and thus a consistently high quality and mode of action,” says Anna-Lena Beckmann, Product Manager at DOSTOFARM.
In the first 12 weeks of life, turkeys are particularly susceptible to various diseases. It is therefore important to support the animals and their immune system through optimal management and feed. A scientific trial in Poland (2020) showed that the addition of oregano oil led to improved profitability in relation to the additional feed costs with an ROI of 12:1 (as of November 2022). Oregano oil successfully minimized the negative effects of stress in the various production phases.
Eimeria
Coccidiosis, one of the most economically significant animal diseases, is caused by the protozoan species Eimeria spp. A direct effect of natural oregano essential oil against Eimeria has been proven in several studies. In a feeding trial at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, USA), the number of Eimeria oocysts per gram of feces was reduced by around 50 % in the infected animals that received oregano oil compared to the control group on the 14th day after vaccination. In addition, the animals achieved a higher live weight and significantly improved feed conversion.
Trichomonadida
Trichomonads include genera such as Tetratrichomonas and Chochlosoma spp. which manifest themselves in the cloaca, large intestine and caecum of turkeys and cause severe intestinal inflammation. The consequences include reduced feed conversion, severe weight loss and increased susceptibility to secondary infections as well as higher flock mortality.
In a feeding trial at North Carolina State University in the USA (2022), turkey poults infected with Cochlosoma anatis were compared with a non-infected control group and infected animals that received 22.5 grams of oregano oil per ton of feed. On day 28, oregano oil was able to compensate for the reduction in weight gain and feed conversion caused by the Cochlosoma infection and was comparable to the uninfected group of animals. The mortality rate of the infected animals that received oregano was lower compared to the infected control group. With the addition of oregano oil, the reduction of Cochlosoma cells in the small intestine correlated with improved performance and health compared to infected, non-treated animals.
Histomonas meleagridis
Histomonads are the causative agents of blackhead disease in poultry. Infection often occurs via ingestion of eggs of the worm Heterakis gallinarum and leads to severe problems, including lesions in the liver and appendix. The mortality rate in turkeys can be up to 100 %.
In a feeding trial at North Carolina State University (2022), a group of turkeys were infected with Histomonas meleagridis on the 14th day of life and fed either 22.5 g, 37.5 g or 150 g of oregano oil per ton of feed. The infected group was compared with the uninfected control group.
Oregano oil improved the live weight of the turkeys infected with Histomonas and led to better feed conversion compared with the infected control group. Fewer lesions were found on resection of the caecum and liver of the infected animals that received oregano. The mortality rate in the oregano group was reduced by 10% compared to the control group.
Conclusion
The antimicrobial, antiprotozoal and antioxidant properties of oregano oil have a direct impact on turkey health by reducing the number of protozoan oocysts in the gut and causing less severe tissue lesions in the liver and appendix. The reduced stress leads to a more efficient use of feed, lower mortality and consequently to an increase in profitability. In contrast to coccidiostats, oregano oil can be administered without a waiting period.
