Abstract | Coccidiosis caused by Eimeria species is a serious disease in the poultry industry. Anticoccidial efficacy,
growth and haematological parameters of ethanolic extract of Aloe vera were tested against coccidiosis in Kabir chicken.
Fresh A. vera leaves were harvested, dried in gentle heat, ground and the sieved powder was used to prepare an
ethanolic extract. Chicken were infected with approximately 3200 Eimeria oocysts until they began shedding oocysts
in their faeces. The extract was administered at different doses of 0.16 g/chicken/day (T1), 0.32 g/chicken/day (T2)
and 0.84 g/chicken/day (T3) directly into the mouth of the chicken. Chicken in the T4 group were given sulfaquinoxalina-
LH, those in T5 were infected but not treated while T6 was the neutral group. Carcass and haematological
parameters were determined. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the feed intake between experimental
groups. Chicken of T3 had the highest body mass gain (11.7%) while those of T5 had the least (3.1%). The highest
feed conversion ratio (14.7%) was recorded in chickens of T3 while the overall feed conversion ratio was recorded in
T4 (18.6%). The weights of different organs were similar (P > 0.05) in all groups. The highest oocyst count reduction
rate was observed in T4 (98.7%) and the value reduced in a dose dependent manner in the groups receiving A. vera
extract. Red blood cell count (RBC) was significantly highest (P = 0.043) in T4 (2.8±0.3 x 1012 /uL) and lowest in T5
(0.8±0.3 x 1012 /uL). White blood cell count (WBC) was also significantly highest (P = 0.031) in T4 (98.8±0.3 x 109
/uL) and lowest in T5 (18.3±11.8 x 109 /uL). Haemoglobin levels were not significantly different between treatment
groups. This extract could be incorporated into the feed or drink of chicken for the prophylactic treatment of coccidiosis
before outbreaks.