BioComplex Feed Case Study - South West Free Range Layer Farm

Animal Health

Executive Summary

A farmer in Devon has been trialling the application of EKOGEA’s BioComplex Feed Ingredient (BCxF) in liquid form through his drinker lines in his flat deck layer house. The house is stocked with “heritage” breeds with the eggs being sold into a premium market.

The results show

A reduction in rejects in terms of egg size and quality;
A financially significant saving on feed requirements;
Overall return on investment of 618% for Ekogea’s BioComplex Feed

The Trial

The trial started in January 2021 to look at the impact of the new housing measures imposed by DEFRA, which were introduced across Great Britain in December 2020 as one of a range of measures to stop the spread of avian influenza.

The trial was conducted across two 5,000 bird layer houses, with BioComplex Feed applied as an addition to the birds’ water in one house against the other as a ‘Control’. It is important to note that:

The birds were 36 Weeks old when the trial commenced.
The trial continued over an 8 week period.
Popholes were closed throughout the trial period because of the housing order.

The Data

Interpreting the Results

The farmer saw a 1.28% reduction in rejects and a 0.9% increase in egg weight

His egg contract pays him a premium for medium eggs, so larger eggs are not an advantage for him. On another farm this increase in egg size may be of more financial significance in itself. The size of the premium paid for those contract specific eggs, however, means that a 1.28% drop in rejects alone translates to a return of 1.4 times the investment in the BioComplex Feed used in the trials.

The farm made considerable savings in feed costs

Another significant advantage was a reduction in the amount of protein needed in the feed to maintain the required egg size and standard under the farmer’s contract. This again translated into big savings on feed which alone equated to a return of 4.8 times the investment in BioComplex Feed.

Combined return on investment of over 6 times the cost of the BioComplex

If we combine both the savings on feed, and the increase in profits from the reduction in rejects, the trial indicates a return of over 6 times the investment in BioComplex Feed used in the trials.

Summary

The results are hugely significant and we look forward to continuing with the trials and case studies on Layer Farms. We expect our BioComplex products to deliver a return of at least 2 times the investment, so this trial’s overall result is highly significant for the future application of BioComplex Feed in layer farms.

The farmer in this case study is continuing to use BioComplex Feed and is also going to start using it for the whole farm when the farm restocks with 18 week old pullets in November 2021.

For Further Information

For full case study data or more information about our BioComplex Feed and Sanitiser products for Poultry and Pigs, please contact Mike Clarke on mike.clarke@ekogea.co.uk or on 07484 187050.

Further information can be found on our website at www.ekogea.co.uk