Dementyeva V.A., Amzorova I.F. (Central Poultry Farm OJSC) Mekhdikhanov G.G., Deeva A.V., Pronin A.V. (RAMS Gamaleya Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology), Sokolov V.D. (Saint Petersburg State Academy of Veterinary Medicine), Belousova R.V. (K.I. Skryabin Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies)

Under the conditions of poultry farms, during the first months of life chickens are often affected with diseases that have respiratory symptoms – tracheitis, bronchitis. They are caused by reduced resistance, impaired immunity, high pathogenic contamination of premises, equipment, furniture, supplies, etc. For the prevention of “respiratory diseases” poultry farms use difference veterinary drugs, including immunomodulators. One of immunomodulators which has proved its efficiency in practice is Phosprenyl produced by Micro-plus CJSC.

Phosprenyl is aqueous solution of phosphorylated polyprenols obtained from fir needles. It intensifies natural resistance and immunity, activates metabolism. It is used to prevent viral infections, reduce the incidence among youth and adult livestock, increase the post-vaccination antibody titers and reduce the frequency of post-vaccination complications, increase the weight gain and other productivity parameters, flock uniformity, reduce the quantity of feed per unit of output, to treat viral diseases in order to increase effectiveness and reduce the treatment period (in combination with the standard therapy regimen).

Phosprenyl has been used in poultry in a dose of 0.05 ml/kg of body weight for chickens by feeding according to the scheme: day 2 – 2 doses, day 10 and 21 – one dose and/or the days before vaccination (approximately the 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th and 21st days of life) – one dose. This increased the viability, average daily gain, flock uniformity, post-vaccination antibody titers, the production index and reduced the quantity of feed per unit of output.

A good result was obtained by administration with water with neutral pH.

One of the most convenient methods of administration of veterinary drugs for poultry is aerosol. So far, no poultry or other livestock industries have used the aerosol method for administration of Phosprenyl.

This article describes the first experience of using Phosprenyl by the aerosol method for broiler chickens of Central Poultry Farm, OJSC (Vladimir region).

Central Poultry Farm, OJSC (Vladimir region) is specialized in breeding Ross-308 broilers. The poultry farm has low incidence of infectious diseases. All veterinary and livestock measures are taken in accordance with technological regulations. The farm does not have its own breeding birds. So, it purchases hatching eggs from parent flocks of different ages, so the immune status of chickens varies.

To increase the immunity of broiler chickens the farm has been using Phosprenyl by the drinking method before vaccination in recommended doses since July 2007, which helped to achieve the final viability of 94-95%.

In case of any problems with the respiratory tract (tracheitis, bronchitis, etc.) in chickens at the age of 18 to 25 days, specialists of the poultry farm have decided to use Phosprenyl. The drug was administered in the aerosol form by the method of cold mist in the presence of birds, decreasing the dose by twice (0.025 ml/kg of body weight).

2% Phosprenyl solution was prepared in the amount of 400 ml per 20 l of prepared solution with adding glycerol to treat 30,000 animals in the premises with the volume of 8000 m3 for 15-20 minutes. The treatment was carried out for 3 consecutive days.

The spread of infection was arrested. Mortality decreased at least by twice. Antibiotics therapy was conducted in order to strengthen the result.

Reducing the dose by twice with the aerosol method of administration is possible due to the large surface area of pulmonary alveoli, where the drug diffuses (is resorbed) through the thin epithelial layer of the alveolus and the layer of capillary epithelium quickly providing a high concentration at the local level of the pathological process – in the pulmonary tissue and the respiratory tract from the trachea to the alveoli, as well as at the level of the whole organism – in the blood.

No negative aspects were detected when Phosprenyl was used in the aerosol form.

Summary

The use of Phosprenyl in the aerosol form led to reduction of incidence and mortality of broilers from diseases with the “respiratory syndrome”. The aerosol method allowed the reduction of the single dose of Phosprenyl and made its use more economically attractive.