Coccivac-B hit a milestone in 2009 and, for that matter, so did the US poultry industry.

For the first time in history, US poultry farms used more than 1 billion doses of the coccidiosis vaccine within a year. Based on USDA figures indicating that over 7 billion broiler chicks have been placed so far in 2009, we estimate that 13% of all US broilers were vaccinated this year with Coccivac-B — nearly double the number vaccinated in 2008.

Why the sudden surge in demand?

Internally, we like to point to our science-driven efforts to educate the market — in meetings, customer-service calls, top-rated technical service, Intestinal Health magazine and our new website (see page 5). These endeavors certainly factor into the equation, but more than anything, Coccivac-B is helping to meet our dynamic industry’s changing needs.

Today, producers need a sustainable way to control coccidiosis in the face of growing resistance to in-feed anticoccidials. Several studies as well as experience in the field have demonstrated that by integrated Coccivac-B into the coccidiosis-control program, the effectiveness of worn-out anticoccidials can be restored because the vaccine seeds the house with Eimeria oocysts that have never been exposed to anticoccidials.

The industry has also needed to respond to public trends, especially the demand for poultry meat from birds raised with fewer drugs. Consequently, a growing number of producers are eliminating the use of in-feed anticoccidials and using Coccivac-B exclusively for coccidiosis control with excellent results.

Several other factors have boosted the increased use of Coccivac-B. One is the development of the SprayCox II spray unit, which enables day-old chicks to conveniently receive the vaccine at the hatchery and ensures more uniform administration compared to water or spray-on-feed administration. Another factor is simply field experience, which has provided important lessons about how toget better results — like methods for modifying preening behavior to enhance vaccine intake.

In recent years, we’ve discovered that when immunity against coccidiosis develops early — as it does with Coccivac-B — it has less impact on the producer’s bottom line. We’ve seen how Coccivac-B can simplify procedures at the feed mill since a withdrawal diet is no longer needed.

Since coccidiosis will always be with us, and in light of industry needs and public trends, we expect coccidiosis vaccination to continue its upward trajectory. We stand firm in our commitment to help poultry producers achieve optimal intestinal health, performance and profitability.

Regresar a North American Edition (#3)