Ceased Operations May15, 2009
Message: THE EFFECT OF AGRASTIM® ON WATER CONSUMPTION
In a recently completed trial, a producer of “All-Natural Broilers”, who farmed broilers without the use of antibiotics in the feed, in the water or as therapeutic agents, added Agrastim® to the feed at a concentration of 40 grams/ton for the first two weeks and 20 grams/ton thereafter in one house with 20,000 broilers. The data from this house were compared to the data from a similar house of 20,000 broilers. The results are shown in Figure 1.
Agrastim® added to broilers’ feed resulted in 13 points better feed conversion, 50% lower mortality, 86% lower condemnation and decreased the time to reach 5.25 lbs from 48 to 45 days.
Water consumption for broilers is approximately 168 ml per kg of weight. During the last days of a broiler’s life, as it grows beyond 5 lbs, (2.27kg) to a market weight of 5.25 lbs. (2.38kg) it consumes 380 ml (.1 gal.) of water per day. If a broiler reaches market weight in one less day (44 days instead of 45 days) it is conceivable that it will consume .1 gal less water in its lifetime.
A different way of calculating water consumption uses mean daily water consumption of 320 ml (.085 gal.) at a mean weight of 1.9kg. This results in a 1,700 gal. reduction of water consumption, per day of decreased growing time for 20,000 broilers to reach market weight. A three day reduction of growing time could conceivably result in a reduction in water consumption of over 5,000 gal. for 20,000 broilers.
If these projections stand up to field verification, an integrator processing 10,000,000 broilers per day, grown using Agrastim®, could reduce water consumption by as much as 850,000 gallons per day of reduced growing time.
WIth the severe drought conditions currently being experienced in the southeastern United States, broiler producers may be compelled to be more agressive in water consumption reduction. In my opinion, shortening the growing cycle, by using Agrastim®, could help.
FWIW
-zties
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