Orego-Stim FAQ

Author: Anpario  

Q&A: Orego-Stim in Laying Hens

Gut Health, Laying Performance, Egg Quality - All You Need To Know

 

Q1. Why do my hens have loose/wet droppings? How can Orego-Stim help?

  • There can be a number of reasons for wet droppings. It can be a sign of coccidiosis or an issue with water reabsorption in the hind gut often caused by a gut health issue. Orego-Stim supports normal gut health by balancing good and bad bacteria, reducing the number of bad bacteria which contribute to wet droppings.

Q2. My hen's eggs are dirty and cracked, will Orego-Stim help and how?

  • A recent commercial trial showed a reduction in dirty and cracked eggs with Orego-Stim. Orego-Stim can support gut health, and nutrient digestion and absorption.
  • This can support calcium availability for egg shell production, helping to support water reabsorption in the lower gut, producing firmer droppings which avoids dirty eggs. Improved calcium absorption from the diet supports shell quality avoiding cracked eggs.

Q3. Will Orego-Stim help my hen lay more eggs?

  • Orego-Stim works to support hen gut health, which in turn supports nutrient availability for egg production. Orego-Stim can improve egg numbers, and the level of improvement depends on the extent of environmental challenge.
  • Factors in your hen's surroundings such as parasitic worms/nematodes, bacteria, and even stress such as a sudden change in diet can disrupt egg laying. Even in a clean university facility, hens fed Orego-Stim produced more eggs, and in a recent commercial farm study, 13 more eggs/hen.
  • Are you getting new pullets soon? Orego-Stim supplementation in reared pullets was shown to improve egg size after just 2 weeks of feeding, with fewer peewee eggs, and more small and medium eggs. Hens fed Orego-Stim continuously produced larger eggs sooner than hens fed a standard diet without supplementation.

Q4. Can I give chicks/pullets Orego-Stim?

  • Yes! Orego-Stim is safe to feed to day-old chicks at the standard dose.

Q5. I have ex battery hens, will this help with their feather regrowth?

  • Loss of feather condition is a common issue with ex battery hens, and it can persist on rehoming as hens are attracted to peck shiny objects including bare skin, which can slow feather regrowth.
  • Orego-Stim has a calming effect on hens. They’ve encountered stress in their previous home, and the transport to a new place is also a high stress event. Orego-Stim can help to calm hens, allowing them to focus on more natural behaviours and less aggressive behaviour such as feather pecking.

Q6. Will Orego-Stim help with feather condition in my show birds?

  • Orego-Stim helps to support nutrient digestion efficiency. Improved nutrient availability to the hen leads to more nutrients for healthy physiological functions such as feather growth.
  • We have had positive feedback from a study where the hens' feathers were shiny and in good condition. Hens supplemented with Orego-Stim were also noted to spend more time on natural healthy behaviours such as scratching, dust bathing where possible, and preening.

Q7. I have problems with cocci, how do you advise giving Orego-Stim for maximum support?

  • Firstly, please contact your veterinarian if you think you have a coccidiosis problem in your hens.
  • Orego-Stim has been studied alongside coccidiostats such as antibiotic robenidine and ionophore (salinomycin), and has been shown to be effective in supporting birds through a challenge before a clinical challenge has occurred.
  • For maximum support, Orego-Stim can be added to drinking water at the standard dose continuously to support birds in the event of a cocci challenge. If your birds have a known cocci problem, increasing the dose to 1.5 times the standard inclusion can further support your hens through a challenge.
  • Orego-Stim can be used alongside vaccination programs, and also without vaccination, to support birds to gain natural immunity. 

Q8. If I give my chickens dried oregano for their health, why is this different?

  • The difference between dried oregano, similar to what we may keep in our spice rack, is the amount of essential oil contained in dried leaves, compared to oregano oil which is steam distilled from the oregano plant.
  • Orego-Stim is much more concentrated in the active compounds, essential oils, and is specially formulated to contain a consistent amount of oil at the right level to support gut health for hens.

Q9. Will Orego-Stim help with my bird's stress response?

  • Orego-Stim can have calming effects in hens. Feedback we hear from customers includes hens show less stressed focalisations during welfare checks, less aggressive behaviour towards each other such as feather pecking, and more time spent on natural healthy behaviours such as scratching, dust bathing where possible, and preening.

Q10. I breed Cream Legbars, will Orego-Stim help improve my hatch rate?

  • Yes. Orego-Stim at the standard inclusion has been shown in a rare breed to support hatchability of eggs, and support the number of fertile eggs.
  • Other benefits of interest to breeders are improvements in egg shell thickness which can help to prevent breakages. These benefits were reported after consistent supplementation to the diet.

Q11. Will Orego-Stim support my cockerel in breeding?

  • Yes, in breeding cockerels supplemented with Orego-Stim, one study found improvements in sperm quality, motility and concentration, with less abnormal sperm.
  • Orego-Stim is a source of antioxidants and supports gut health and subsequent nutrient absorption and bird health, meaning there are more nutrients available to the bird for normal processes such as reproduction.