“We do not need to convince anyone of the importance of thorough cleaning and disinfection,” AdVee Veterinarians poultry vet Janny Hermans adds. “When the results are insuf- ficient, there may be four or five viruses lying in wait for the new one-day old chicks. That doesn’t mean the chicks will get sick, but controlling these viruses depletes their energy and affects growth.”
No grade
Hermans emphasises that a VIR Check result is not a grade for broiler farmers. “When VIR Check shows red, that does not mean the farmer didn’t do a good job. We can say, however, that the cleaning and disinfecting were not successful. This is often the case because it can be very difficult to thoroughly clean a poultry house. Seams, cracks and floors especially are not easily cleared of pathogens.” The trial results do not trans- late into a checklist for cleaning and disinfection that every broiler farmer should use. “It’s not that simple,” says Llapashti- ca. “Every farm is different. The trial with VIR Check does indi- cate however that even small adjustments to the cleaning and disinfecting process can have a major impact.”
Little attention for empty period Llapashtica concludes that VIR Check is an additional aid that can be used to work towards better results. “The empty peri- od deserves more attention at many farms. Every farmer has
their own approach and protocol for end of flock, cleaning and disinfecting poultry houses. The VIR Check field trial shows that improvements can be made in many situations. It is often a matter of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. Soak- ing poultry houses before spraying is very important, but that can sometimes be overlooked. The length of the empty peri- od is a significant factor as well.” Another goal of the field trial is to investigate whether a good VIR Check score in 6 to 7-day-old chicks has an effect on the technical results and the slaughter process, for example, in terms of better gut health and conformation. These technical and slaughter results have not yet been processed. Llapashtica and Hermans share the view that the field trial confirms that VIR Check is a good tool for broiler farm man- agement. “Over the last few months we have noticed that broiler farmers are very enthusiastic about it,” Hermans com- mented. “Checking cleaning and disinfection with this new test appears to motivate farmers. They are very curious about the results and actively improve their routines to obtain a better score in the next round.” The new test is also useful for farms with slow growing broilers. “The prevailing thought is that pathogens do not play a large part at broiler farms. This is not correct, however. Especially with slow growers, an infection of one-day chicks with reoviruses, for example, can have a major impact on growth.”
▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 3, 2020
Even the most thorough clean- ing practices don’t always guarantee clean poultry houses. The viral status of the house can be monitored using the new VIR Check.
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