Strengthening broiler flocks

When applied in the hatchery via day of age spray, Poulvac^® E. coli has been shown to yield a positive return on investment.¹ It helps improve livability, cost per pound and feed conversion, and lower processing condemnations while reducing antibiotic treatment costs.

HELP STRENGTHEN RESPIRATORY HEALTH

Cross-protecting against variant infectious bronchitis (IB) challenges can be difficult, especially in colder months. This was shown in winter 2014-2015, when one leading U.S. integrator experienced mortality greater than 8% in some flocks to the DMV/1639 IB challenge.¹ When farms are threatened with respiratory diseases, Poulvac E. coli helps protect against secondary Escherichia coli
(E. coli) bacterial infection.

POSITIVE IMPACT of Poulvac^® E. coli on IB-challenged flocks (one dose at day of age)¹

Provides an effective alternative to antibiotics

Poulvac E. coli helps reduce the reliance on antibiotics. The vaccine works to keep flocks healthy while meeting the needs of food retailers.

Trial results across multiple complexes demonstrated the cost savings alone from vaccination with Poulvac E. coli more than justified the investment, especially in larger birds.¹ And these results do not consider the economics of improved processing line speeds.

In particular, one U.S. broiler integrator recently studied how Poulvac E. coli would decrease the need for antibiotic treatment in growout. More than 4 million birds were vaccinated at day of age via coarse spray, with no hatchery antibiotic administered. Control flocks received gentamicin in ovo and were not vaccinated.²

Poulvac E. coli helped reduce the need for antibiotic treatment by nearly 16% (first graph). When antibiotics were required for E. coli, the average duration of treatment was 4.2 days less than unvaccinated flocks that received gentamicin (second graph). These results demonstrate how Poulvac E. coli can help reduce treatment costs and save diversion of antibiotic-free birds to conventional markets. Poulvac E. coli also helped lower condemnation rates from 1.06% to 0.76%.

Approximate weekly return on $13,000 cost for vaccination^A,B

Reducing live production costs

^A Calculations based on following improvements:

• Feed conversion: 1.33% (2015 meta-analysis of four broiler challenge studies³)
• Body weight: 4.62% (2015 meta-analysis of four broiler challenge studies³)
• Livability improvement: 1.05% (common results from broiler field trials⁴)

^B Based on 2015 industry analysis.⁵ The following inputs were considered:

• Industry average feed conversion: 4-pound birds: 1.69%, 6.5-pound birds: 1.88%, 8.5-pound birds: 2.03
• Industry average mortality rate: 4-pound birds: 3.95%, 6.5-pound birds: 5.09%, 8.5-pound birds: 5.43%
• Mortality cost: $0.08
• Price per pound of meat at market age: $1.00

^C Feed cost per ton includes $15.55 for milling and delivery