Live and Processing Performance Responses of Broilers Fed Low and Extra-Low Nutrient Density Withdrawal Diets Supplemented with Virginiamycin

Dear Ken, thanks for the update. Yes we know that Virginiamycin saves nutrient cost from time. But it is hard to grasp why it has to be used as an incentive to dilute diets at a time when the world is working on the issue of antibiotic resistance, drug residues and consumer acceptance of poultry products. You actually used it in this study as a growth promoter rather than treat clinical issues, isn't it? If you had introduced another treatment with non AGP would have helped to justify the case for such a study! I am not against your VM business but simply reporting the progress that has been made in the markets and even in scientific research visavis finding alternatives to a practise of over 30 years ago. Now a days only few nutritionists will be ready to feed VM like a nutrient supplement over the whole fattening period and will also disclose this to his customers. May be such exist in latin america and the USA. Thanks.

Many countries have adopted the regulation to ban antibiotic growth promoter in feed for poultry. In the past, Virginiamycin had been used with success as a growth promoter in broiler diets. Consumers are very sensitive about the use of antibiotics in poultry.