EDUCATIONALDEVELOPMENT
The
Alabama Poultry Monthly • 2002
Conclusion
Vaccination, feed additives, sanitation
and bio-security programs provide a solid firstline of defense against disease
in broiler flocks. But grower management in terms of facility and equipment,
feed and water availability, temperature regulation, air quality, litter quality,
and sanitation is equally important and has an enormous impact on poultry health.
Management and health programs are inseparable and must be considered in combination
with all facets of live production in the grow-out. The proper blend of health
and management programs will provide an environment that will offer the best
opportunity for sparing nutrients in the feed for growth, instead of expending
them on body maintenance beyond what is necessary for best bottom-line performance.
Keeping Birds Stress-Free Prevents Disease and Promotes
Growth
These pie charts show that as birds grow the percentage of
their feed energy that must go to body maintenance (instead of growth) gets
larger and larger. The lesson to be learned is that flocks must be kept as
free of stress as possible, so that they are less susceptible to disease and
their energy demands for body maintenance are kept as small as possible. This
allows the greatest possible feed energy to produce growth, and produces the
best feed efficiency numbers. Maintaining consistently good in-house conditions
helps healthy birds stay healthy and gain weight rapidly.
Bio-Security:
Essential Steps to Prevent Disease
Outbreaks on Your Farm
Many
chicken diseases, including exotic Newcastle's disease, avian
influenza, and laryngotracheitis (LT), could be devastating to individual growers
and to the industry as a whole. While integrators take all possible steps to
prevent disease outbreaks from their operations, the grower must realize that
the ultimate responsibility for keeping diseases off the farm rests with the
individual grower. Here are the most important precautions you should observe:
1.
Do not allow unauthorized or unnecessary visitors
to come
onto your farm or into
your houses. No one should enter one
of your houses except
by invitation for a specific purpose.
2. Do not yourself visit other poultry houses
except for specific
need and on invitation,
and if you do be sure to take proper
bio-security precautions.
3. Require all visitors and employees to wear
disinfected rubber
boots or 6-mil disposable
plastic boots to enter a house.
Keep a supply of plastic
boots on hand.
4. Make your houses wild bird-proof, discourage
other fowl from
coming onto your premises,
and avoid contact with other birds
by yourself and your employees.
5. Keep your houses clean and free of rodents.
6. Do not use a pond or lake as a water source
for your flocks.
7. Pick up and properly dispose of dead birds
promptly.
8. Make sure all equipment, such as cleanout equipment,
is
thoroughly cleaned and
disinfected before coming onto the
farm or being used in
your houses. This rule must be applied
both to your own equipment
and to equipment used by any
contractor.
