More insight for healthier chicks
VIR check
Field study shows: low VIR check score = better growth
Together with ForFarmers De Hoop and veterinarians, GD conducted a field study into the relationship between the VIR check and chick growth. A review of the data revealed a significant relationship between four groups within the VIR check and daily growth rates: chicks with lower scores grow faster. This resulted in a new VIR check score with four categories to give veterinarians and feed consultants further tools for a more focused approach to farm hygiene and disinfection.
The updated score now consists of the categories green, yellow, orange and red. Besides the fact that any poultry farmer would want to have fewer pathogens in their broiler houses, farmers also enjoy greater chick growth by putting effort into improving their farm's scores. If a farm improves from category red to category green, this will result in more than 100 grams of extra growth per chick in 6 weeks!
Objective monitoring of cleaning with the VIR Check
Dionne Rauff is distributor of Royal GD in South Africa and sells, in addition to the PTS and diagnostics, the VIR check. “The VIR Check is a fantastic and objective tool to independently check the effectiveness of cleaning in broiler houses.” Read the customer story of distributor Dionne Rauff
VIR check finds all viruses, even the ones hiding
With the VIR-check you are able to test the prevalence and viral load of five contagious and resistant intestinal viruses: rotavirus A and D, chicken astrovirus, avian nephritis virus 3 and reovirus. Broilers around the age of six to seven days with a high viral load in their intestines have likely been subjected to viruses at a very young age. A field study in Dutch poultry showed that approximately 100 percent of the flocks tested positive on these viruses at the end of the cycle, except for rotavirus D: only 50 percent of the flocks were positive.
Easy sampling and clear results
To participate in the VIR-check you can take ten cloacal swabs at age 6-7 days. The swabs can be pushed on one spot of a FTA-card. The VIR-check provides a good indication of the viral load in the house at the arrival of the chicks. The results are transformed by a formula into the so called VIR-check score. You will receive the results in a clear report with a brief explanation, the test results and a visual representation of the score.
For more information on the costs of the VIR check click here.
