Using micro-organisms to improve profitability

Increasing production, reducing mortality rates, and managing diseases and pests are the three pillars of success in chicken production. Studies show that a way of achieving this winning combination may lie in the use of effective micro-organisms, a unique mix of bacteria, fungi and yeast.

- Lindi Botha

As more and more producers realise the benefits of using large populations of micro-organisms on their farms, so the number of different ways to apply these micro-organisms grows. With the development of effective micro-organisms (EM) in the form of inoculants, these organisms are moving beyond crop farms and being used in livestock concerns, where they aid animal health and sanitation, improve nutrition, and reduce pests such as flies.

EM inoculants function as biological control measures in that they introduce beneficial micro-organisms into the environment that suppress or control pests and pathogens through natural processes.

Numerous studies conducted worldwide have proved the efficacy of EM in boosting poultry health and production. In White River, Mpumalanga, poultry farmer and nursery owner Frikkie Roux conducted his own studies under local conditions to test the capabilities of EM.

Roux found that when used in rearing sheds, EM reduced the incidence of respiratory diseases and eliminated or controlled the smell of the ammonia produced when chicken manure breaks down. They also helped to repel flies.

Roux even found that the overall quality of his poultry meat improved, increasing profit between R0,50 and R1 per bird.

APPLICATION