ENTOMOLOGY Recently I had a conversation about the study of the Caterpillars and Butterflies. For some unknown reason the conversation brought back an experience I had over twenty five years ago. .The experience of trying to sell a Gumboro vaccine that wasn't better than the competitor vaccine. To compete it would require an off the wall approach. I was able to secure money from the company I represented to buy a research project to study the relationship between the darkling beetle and the Gumboro virus. The company I represented The study proved the virus leaves the beetle after 14 days. The study was presented at a poultry seminar with the findings ignored by poultry servicemen because the pressure from their growers to place the baby chicks within 7 days after the slaughtered older birds. More placement of baby chicks per year means more money for the grower.
At this time my sales manager asked for my resignation because I had spent the money on the darkling beetle study instead of providing wine and diner for the poultry veterinarians and their wives.
Hindsight - I should had the courage to asked for more time and asked the poultry serviceman to use our vaccine on baby chicks placed in houses 14 days after the previous birds had been slaughtered.
I thought again of that experience when shopping for an insecticide for my garden. Anyone who buys those products needs a little education in Entomology, to prevent them from buying a product that kills Butterflies instead of just pests.
Future Topics
Page 2
How the idea of using IBM data cards with long needles to record poultry vaccination history originated and the unintended consequences
Page 3
How the Fluff Test in the Fresno Hatchery produced a long lasting enemy.
Page 4
How a vaccine company sold more than 30 % of day age broiler vaccine within 60 days and lost all of it in the following 30 days.