Coxidin, a monensin-based coccidiostat for poultry, now has a 0-day withdrawal time in Europe. This allows continuous coccidiosis control, right up to slaughter.

Coxidin (monensin sodium) obtained a 0-day withdrawal time in Europe following the renewal of the BSA (Brand Specific Approval) registration. All BSA product suppliers must submit new efficacy data every 10 years. By doing this, efficacy is demonstrated in more recent genetic chicken lines against Eimeria strains currently circulating in the field.

The European BSA for coccidiostats was established to address differences in formulation that affect efficacy and safety for products containing the same active ingredient. Coxidin is the only monensin-containing coccidiostat in Europe with a 0-day withdrawal time.

There are multiple benefits to having a 0-day withdrawal time. The main benefit is that producers have full flexibility when using these products. Many companies have a policy of only working with 0-day withdrawal products, as this eliminates the risk of carryover when birds are sent to the slaughterhouse earlier than expected. It also eliminates the need to remove the coccidiostat from the feed when thinning is applied. Thinning is still a common practice in Europe, and it is mostly done around days 28-30.

Data from Aviapp show that this is also the period of the highest pressure for both E. maxima and E. tenella. Both Eimeria species have a significant impact on performance, so controlling them up to late age is key to achieving the best possible flock results.

The benefits of a 0-day withdrawal time have been previously demonstrated for Sacox, a product containing salinomycin. In a field study on a commercial farm with 2 identical houses divided into 2 compartments, a comparison was made between applying Sacox to the feed until thinning and until slaughter age. The farm had normal coccidiosis pressure, thinning was done on day 32, and all birds were slaughtered at 40 days.

In both houses, oocysts were collected on days 26, 32 and 40. The OPG results of the birds that did not receive a coccidiostat after thinning increased significantly at the end, while the OPG results of the birds that received the coccidiostat until the end stayed very low (Figure 1 and Figure 2). It is important to note that the increased number of oocysts on day 40 was mainly E. tenella. This high pressure of E. tenella can have a significant impact, leading to increased mortality or reduced growth.

The 0-day withdrawal time in Europe gives producers full flexibility and zero stress when using this coccidiostat in their finisher feeds. Furthermore, including this coccidiostat throughout the flock will provide better coccidiosis control and reduce issues at the end of the flock.