4 Best Methods Of Maintaining Proper And Safe Poultry Health

A . SANITATION:

Poultry houses should be completely cleaned and disinfected  before new birds are moved in. The following steps will  result in a clean house.

1.  Take  all movable equipment outside of the house. Clean off the manure, and wash and disinfect the equipment. Expose the equipment to  sunlight.

2.  Clean all of the manure and litter out of the house.

3.  Sweep down the walls and ceilings.

4.  Scrape and brush the floor clean.

5.  Scrub and hose the inside and outside of the house using high pressure. A portable steam cleaner can be used for this operation.

 6.  Spray the inside of the house with an approved disinfectant. Spray should be applied to all the surfaces of the walls, ceiling, and floor. Do not spray the disinfectant into water conatiners or feeders. Chlorine, iodine, v-ox, or quaternary ammonium are good disinfectants for smooth surfaces such as the walls and ceiling. Cresol, phenol, or coal tar-type disinfectants are best for floors, posts, and foundations.

7.  Use new, clean, dry, non dusty litter on the floor.

8.  Leave the house empty for 1 weeks to break disease cycles.

9.  Lock the door to  prevent people from entering and contaminating the clean house. 

Insofar as possible, do not allow visitors to  enter poultry houses, pens, and yards. Clean coveralls and disinfected rubber footwear should be worn  by anyone who must enter the poultry area. Place a foot pan with disinfectant in it at  the door, to  be used before entering. Replace the disinfectant in the pan frequently.

Use only clean and disinfected  equipment. Be cautious about allowing  used poultry crates, egg cases, and feed bags to  be brought onto the farm. These  can spread diseases. 

All dead birds must be disposed of promptly. Use of incinerators, composting, or deep burying are recommended for disposal of dead birds. Be sure that disposal methods meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

Dispose of manure by spreading it thinly on land that is not used for poultry. Do not put poultry on the land where the manure was spread for at  least 4 years.

Eliminate places for pests, such as flies, to breed. Do not pile up manure outside of the poultry house. Control lice and mites inside of the house by using approved chemical.

B. VACCINATION:

Vaccination is not a substitute for good flock health management, but it is helpful in controlling  certain diseases. Vaccines are available for Newcastle disease, Marek’s disease, infectious bronchitis, fowl pox, epidemic tremors, fowl cholera,  laryngotracheitis, infectious bursal disease, erysipelas, and virus hepatitis.

Vaccinations should be used only in areas where the disease is known to exist. Plan a vaccination program  for the specific operation in a specific locality.  Some vaccines for certain diseases can only be used with the permission of the state veterinarian. When planning a vaccination program, obtain help from a veterinarian, the Cooperative Extension Service,  a hatchery,  or feed  dealer. Vaccinations cause stress in poultry. Vaccinate only healthy birds. Read  and follow all directions on the vaccine. 

Several methods may be used to  vaccinate poultry.  Individual bird vaccinations are given by injection, intranasally, intraocularly, or through the wing web. Intranasal vaccination  is  placement of the vaccine directly into the nose opening. Intraocular vaccination  is  placement of the vaccine directly into the eye. Wing web vaccination  is  the process of injecting the vaccine into the skin on the underside of the wing web at the elbow.

A grooved, double needle instrument is  used for wing  web vaccination. Flock treatments are given in the water,  by spray, or dust. Th e method used depends on the disease to be controlled. Individual vaccination causes more stress on the birds  than flock treatments. Vaccinations for some diseases can be given in more than one way.

C. CONTROLLING DISEASE  OUTBREAKS:

It  is  better to  prevent a disease outbreak than to  try to  control it once it has occurred. Following the sanitation, management, and vaccination suggestions discussed earlier in this chapter will  help the poultry producer prevent disease outbreaks from occurring. The poultry flock should be checked daily for signs of disease. A sudden drop in feed and water consumption is often a sign of health problems. Watch the birds  to  see how they are eating and drinking.

If  more than 1 percent of the f lock is  sick, a disease is  probably present. Death rate  is  another sign of disease. During the first 3 weeks, the normal death rate for chicks is about 2 percent. For turkeys, it is about 3 percent. Aft er 3 weeks  of age,  the death rate  should not be more than 1 percent per month. A sudden increase in the death rate  is  an indication of disease. Most diseases can be accurately diagnosed only in a laboratory.  Very  few can be accurately diagnosed on the farm. Th e producer should use the services of a veterinarian or the state  diagnostic laboratory to  determine which disease is  causing the problem.

Th e procedure for collecting needed information and specimens is  specified by the laboratory.  Th is procedure should be carefully followed. Th e recommendations of the veterinarian or laboratory for control of the disease must also be followed for best results.

D. OTHER HEALTH MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -

In  addition to  sanitation, a number of other management practices contribute to  good fl ock health. Among these practices are the following.

1.  Buy poultry replacement stock from a reliable,  disease-free source.

2.  Use day-old chicks and poults.

3.  If possible, keep birds of only one age on the farm. Use an all-in, all-out program. (Bring  all the birds  onto the farm at  one time and remove  them all at one time.)

4.  If  it is  necessary to  keep birds of different ages, separate the flocks by at  least 40 feet (12 m).

5.  Separate chickens and turkeys. It is best to have only one or the other on the farm.

6.  Separate  breeder flocks from other poultry.  It  is  best not to  have any other poultry on the farm if a breeder flock is kept.

7.  Keep pets and flying  birds  out of the poultry house. Flying birds  can be kept out by screening the windows.

8.  Provide the proper ventilation in the poultry house.

9.  Control rats and mice.  Use rat baits and traps as necessary.  Make  feed bins and storage rooms rat-proof. Eliminate places for rats and mice to  breed by cleaning up trash and junk.

10.  Feed balanced rations to  prevent nutritional diseases. Make sure  the feed is  mixed properly. Provide plenty of fresh, clean water.  Keep feeders and water containers clean.

11.  Maintain good health records. Records should be kept of vaccinations, disease problems, and medicines used.

Basically keeping the pen clean and practicing high level of hygiene can drastically help reduce communicable diseases and eventually forestall mortality.