In a sponsored trial, Southern Poultry Research demonstrated the benefits of CLOSTAT® additive in reducing the impact of necrotic enteritis induced using a proven challenge model. This involved administration of a coccidiosis vaccine followed by inclusion of a known pathogenic field strain (CP4) of Clostridium perfringens in feed.
The experimental design comprised a replicate pen trial with three treatments. These were a negative non-infected control, a positive challenged control and a treatment comprising challenge with the addition of CLOSTAT to feed.
Inclusion of CLOSTAT® at 1 lb./ton improved bodyweight gain over 42 days from 2.10 kg. to 2.25 kg., significant at the 0.05 probability level. In contrast, negative controls gained 2.30 kg.
The negative control attained a feed conversion of 1.699, significantly lower than the challenged birds at 1.790. The treatment receiving CLOSTAT® and challenged applying the Southern Poultry Research Model yielded a feed conversion of 1.716, that was not significantly different from the negative control but statistically lower than the challenged birds in replicate pens.
In evaluating the financial benefit of CLOSTAT in a one million bird per week complex it was assumed that 10 percent of weekly live production would be affected by a range extending from clinically non-detectable to significant clostridial enterotoxemia with growth depression and mortality.
Based on the trial the benefit in terms of restoring production that is attributed to CLOSTAT would be 110g per bird live or 82.5g RTC assuming 75 percent WOG yield. The incremental weight sold as a result of CLOSTAT medication would be 8,250 kg over 100,000 birds or 18,150 lbs.
Production of 100,000 broilers would require 836 tons of feed assuming 4.86lb. live weight per bird and 1.72 FCR based on the data from the trial. With the $1.80 per ton cost of addition to feed, expenditure on CLOSTAT would be $1,505 for the 100,000 broilers.
The benefit to cost ratio would be dependent on RTC margin as shown below:-
Margin c/lb RTC Benefit Benefit: Cost
25 $4,537 3.0
35 $6,353 4.2
45 $8,168 5.4