Effects of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on performance, gut health, and bone quality of broilers fed with reduced calcium and phosphorus diet during Eimeria challenge

This study evaluated the effects of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD) on performance, gut health, and bone quality of broilers fed with reduced cal-cium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) diet during Eimeria spp. challenge. A total of 576 fourteen-day-old Cobb 500 male chicks were randomly distributed in a 2 pound 2 pound 2 factorial arrangement, with 6 replicates of 12 birds each. The main factors were 25-OHD level (0 or 3,000 IU/kg of feed), mineral level (0.84% of Ca/0.42% of P, the levels recom-mended for the grower phase (NOR) or 0.64% of Ca/ 0.22% of P (RED), and mid-high mixed Eimeria chal-lenge or nonchallenge. 25-OHD improved phosphorus retention (P = 0.019), bone ash weight (P = 0.04), corti-cal bone trabecular connectivity (P = 0.043) during coc-cidiosis. For birds fed with reduced mineral levels, 25-OHD supplementation increased bone ash weight (P = 0.04). However, 25-OHD did not improve bone ash weight when birds were challenged and fed with reduced mineral levels. The dietary 3,000 IU of 25-OHD supple-mentation did not improve performance or gut morphol-ogy but support bone health during coccidiosis. Future investigations are needed for better understand 25-OHD role on bone microarchitecture and oxidative metabolism during coccidiosis.