TABLE 1.

Experimental design of the treatments with fish meal feeding, Eimeria infection, and C. perfringens challenge^a

Treatment groupb	Fish meal	Eimeria	C. perfringens
1 (NFM−)	None	None	None
2 (LFM−)	Low	None	None
3 (HFM−)	High	None	None
4 (NFM/Cp)	None	None	Yes
5 (LFM/Cp)	Low	None	Yes
6 (HFM/Cp)	High	None	Yes
7 (NFM+)	None	Yes	Yes
8 (LFM+)	Low	Yes	Yes
9 (HFM+)	High	Yes	Yes

^aThe fish meal levels were 0, 250, and 500 g per kg of starter diet in the none, low, and high fish meal groups, respectively. On day 9, the birds in treatment groups 7, 8, and 9 were given per os a suspension of 5,000 sporulated oocysts of three Eimeria species (Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria tenella) (Bioproperties Pty., Glenorie, New South Wales, Australia) in 1 ml of sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and the birds in the other treatment groups were given 1 ml of sterile PBS instead of the Eimeria suspension. On days 14, 15, and 16, the birds in treatment groups 4 to 9 were inoculated per os with 1 ml of C. perfringens suspension at a concentration of 10⁸ to 10⁹ CFU/ml, and the birds in treatment groups 1, 2, and 3 received 1 ml of sterile thioglycolate broth in place of C. perfringens.

^bThe treatment group abbreviations shown in parentheses are as follows: NFM−, not fed fish meal and negative for C. perfringens and Eimeria; LFM−, fed low level of fish meal and negative for C. perfringens and Eimeria; HFM−, fed high level of fish meal and negative for C. perfringens and Eimeria; NFM/Cp, not fed fish meal and challenged with C. perfringens only; LFM/Cp, fed low level of fish meal and challenged with C. perfringens only; HFM/Cp, fed high level of fish meal and challenged with C. perfringens only; NFM+, not fed fish meal and challenged by C. perfringens and Eimeria; LFM+, fed low level of fish meal and challenged by C. perfringens and Eimeria; HFM+, fed high level of fish meal and challenged by C. perfringens and Eimeria.