The influence of virginiamycin on the live and processing performance of Nicholas turkey hens

Abstract

SUMMARY Antimicrobial feed additives classified as growth promoters have been under attack by activist groups opposed to conventional animal agriculture, even though no conclusive scientific evidence has been produced to suggest that their use has adversely affected public health. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that even today, the use of in-feed antimicrobials has substantial benefits for bird health, and, consequently, for production efficiency, and for the environment. In this experiment, 744 Nicholas female turkeys were fed diets of similar composition and nutrient content with or without virginiamycin (VM) for a total grow-out period of 77 d. The stocking density; feeding and watering equipment; and lighting, ventilating, and feeding programs were similar to those used in commercial turkey production. The target final BW was no less than 14 lb. At the conclusion of the experiment, turkey hens fed the diets supplemented with VM were significantly heavier than those from the control treatment, and on average were 0.294 lb per hen heavier than the control birds. Turkey hens fed the diets supplemented with VM also had significantly better adjusted FCR and had, on average, a 5-point improvement per hen in FCR compared with control birds. The confirmed benefits derived from including 22 ppm of VM in the feed of Nicholas turkey hens raised under commercial conditions were significant (P < 0.05), and when extrapolated to an operation producing 5 million turkey hens per year, would have resulted in an additional 1,474,000 lb of turkey BW and savings of almost 2,000 tons of feed.