Effects of Dietary Organic Acid Supplementation in Coccidiosis-Challenged Broilers: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Simple Summary Coccidiosis is a common intestinal disease in broiler chickens that can damage the gut, reduce growth, and lower feed efficiency. Organic acids are feed additives that may help protect intestinal health and support disease control. This study combined results from 11 controlled experiments to evaluate whether adding organic acids to broiler diets improves growth and reduces the effects of coccidiosis. Overall, organic acid supplementation did not clearly improve body weight gain or feed efficiency. However, it was associated with less intestinal damage and lower shedding of the parasite in droppings. The effects varied considerably among studies because of differences in the type of organic acid, infection conditions, and experimental methods. The overall certainty of the available evidence was very low, so the findings should be interpreted cautiously. Organic acids may have value as complementary feed-based tools for supporting intestinal health and coccidiosis control, but further well-designed and standardized studies are needed before firm recommendations can be made.