Tesis Medicina Veterinaria
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repositorio.uta.edu.ec/handle/123456789/36415
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Item Evaluación de harina de achicoria (Cichorium intybus) en los índices productivos y coccidiosis en pollos de engorde(2025-08) Monar Martínez, Marco Antonio; Guerrero López, Jorge RicardoPoultry production indicators such as weight gain, feed conversion, feed intake, mortality, and others, are key tools for evaluating the efficiency, animal welfare, and profitability of production systems. Among the factors that negatively affect these indicators is avian coccidiosis, a parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria spp., considered one of the main health and economic threats to global poultry farming. In Ecuador, where this industry contributes approximately USD 2 billion annually (16% of agricultural GDP) and generates more than 250,000 jobs, the prolonged use of chemical anticoccidials has led to problems such as parasitic resistance and the presence of residues in poultry products. In this context, this research evaluated the use of chicory (Cichorium intybus) meal, rich in inulin, chicoric acid, and sesquiterpene lactones, as a natural alternative for controlling coccidiosis and improving production rates in Cobb 500 broiler chickens. An experiment was conducted with 250 birds randomly distributed in five treatments (negative control, three levels of chicory at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, and positive control with ammonium maduramicin), monitoring productive, parasitological, and economic variables for 40 days. The results showed significant differences in final weight (p < 0.05), with improvements in treatments T2 and T3, comparable to the maduramicin group. The parasite burden was reduced in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.0001), reaching a 69.5% decrease in T3 compared to the control group. A negative correlation was observed between chicory dose and oocyst excretion (R² = 0.89). Mortality was 0% in T2, T3, and T+, and the cost-benefit ratio was more favorable in T3 (1.01) compared to the control group (1.04). Although no significant improvements in feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed, the results support the use of chicory as a natural additive in antibiotic-free poultry systems, demonstrating its potential to optimize production rates and contribute to more sustainable and competitive production