The Problem
A grower for a major integrator had serious egg production issues with his layer house. The birds were brought to him sick, the major symptom being that the birds were exhibiting diarrhea-like symptoms, constantly excreting an extremely watery stool. His field technician failed to diagnose the issue for over two weeks, then it was finally determined that his birds were infected with staphylococcus.
After treatment for this condition, egg production stayed significantly below normal. To augment his production he began to use Big Ole Bird.
The Application
The initial dose was 32 ounces of Big Ole Bird in a five gallon medicator bucket. The medicator is set to meter in at one ounce of stock solution per gallon of water. This ran for just over 24 hours. Subsequent applications were given weekly at the rate of 16 ounces per five gallon medicator bucket.
The Results
Egg production improved from significantly below normal to a point just below normal. Feed consumption by the bird decreased significantly. Hen weight stayed in the normal range. Rooster weight, however, was the highest the grower had ever seen.
Another effect was that the farmer did not have the swampy litter that is normally found in slat style open layer houses. His litter was so dry that he was not charged the additional fee that is normally levied for hauling the very wet litter typical of these kinds of facilities, saving him an additional $500.
At the end of the flock, the grower was given a bonus by his integrator close to the amount he received the previous year. Although his egg production was irreparably impacted by the Staph infection, this difference was almost completely made up for by his vastly improved feed conversion. The farmer feels that by implementing Big Ole Bird, he increased his overall bottom line by $3500!
The grower is looking forward to using Big Ole Bird on a healthy flock, as he believes the improvement in feed conversion alone will likely drive him to a record bonus.
