Poultry expert tips to keep the vet away

Health challenges are inevitable on every poultry farm, but veterinary intervention can be an expensive option.
According to veterinarian Yahaya Were, who runs a veterinary shop on Katosi Road in Mukono District, the key to keeping the veterinary costs low is to optimise flock health. 

He says poultry health is a variable cost that farmers can control and it has the greatest impact on whether a bird will reach its genetic potential.

“For example, treating bacterial enteritis costs about Shs150,000 for 1,000 birds for five to seven days of antibiotics as all birds in the shed will be treated. This is a huge cost for a farmer,” he says.

Were notes that most antibiotics cause chicken to stop laying for some days making their application more costly. Typically, he says, birds on treatment have a withdrawal period of about 12 days. Additionally, there are production and quality losses. Farmers can expect to see about 10 percent drop in egg numbers with poorer egg quality.

He explains that high levels of poultry management can increase the profit margin. The main difficulties in poultry management, he says, include; parasitic diseases; red mite and worms in particular, bacterial enteritis that causes gut health deterioration as well as bacterial and viral respiratory diseases. In order to maximise bird health, Were recommends careful steps that must be observed by every farmer.

Nutrition
High poultry productivity and efficiency depend on feeding nutritionally balanced feeds that are formulated to meet the birds’ nutritional requirements.

Were says that most poultry species are omnivores, which in nutrition terms means they have a simple digestive system. In meat chicken, he says, it takes less than three hours for feed to be digested and absorbed.  Therefore, short digestive time calls for nutrient-dense formulated diets. He says this is achieved with feeds that are rich in proteins and energy to improve fast growth, carcass yield and egg production. Other major requirements are amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and water.

Were says that chicken obtains energy and required nutrients from natural feedstuffs, but minerals, vitamins and key amino acids, are often offered as synthetic supplements.

He cautions farmers to check diet specifications which are rationed according to egg size. Underweight birds will need extra nutrition to support production levels. But overweight birds often produce excessively large eggs, which can lead to stress. He recommends regularly reviewing the diet with a nutritionist.

Water quality
According to Were, is the most important, but most neglected nutrient in poultry nutrition management. “Water has an impact on virtually every physiological function of chicken, especially digestion of feed, absorption of nutrients, excretion, and regulation of body temperature,” he says. He explains that poultry drinks all the time.

“So, if they are deprived of water for even a short time, production and growth are affected. Therefore, clean water must be available all the time,” he says. Precise water requirements, he says, are difficult to state as this is influenced by such factors as; ambient conditions, age and physiological status of the birds.

“Generally, water intake is assumed to be twice the amount of feed intake,” he explains.

In highly managed systems, he says, the farmer must have thermometers to ensure that temperatures are kept between 10 and 25°C as temperatures above 30°C will reduce consumption. Relatedly, the quality of water must be high to enable productivity while reducing economic losses. Generally, it can be said that if the water is not good enough for us to drink then it won’t be good enough for our birds to drink either. Infrequently cleaned drinking systems can contain harmful bacteria and minerals. “This can be easily resolved by regularly checking equipment and using hydrogen peroxide-based sanitisers to routinely flushing systems,” he recommends. 

Ventilation
Ventilation in a poultry house supplies fresh air. Providing proper ventilation to poultry can be mastered by any determined poultry keeper.

If air is not replaced in a poultry enclosure, there will be build-up of carbon dioxide, ammonia and other harmful gases. As the ventilation system exchanges the air in the building, it brings in the oxygen needed to sustain life and carries out the harmful gases and undesirable odours caused by respiration and waste decomposition. Wet litter can also challenge health and inhibit dust bathing behaviour.

The basic requirements of a good ventilation system must have an adequate air supply to the building and an adequate air distribution system inside the building. The prevailing wind direction, building orientation and site features control air availability.
“In order to meet the desired requirements that can ensure good distribution and air movement, a vet can be consulted during the construction of the chicken house,” he says.

Health protocols
Were explains that it is important to review vaccine use with the veterinary doctor. In highly commercial systems, he says, information from blood, faeces and post-mortems can shed light on individual challenges.

Additional in-lay vaccination may be required to protect birds against pathogens.
Relatedly, biosecurity is a major area for any farmers as gaps can let new disease challenges onto the farm. “It is not enough to devise a strong biosecurity programme; that programme must also be followed by all people that interact with the system. It only takes one lazy act to ruin months of hard work,” he says.

He recommends strict measures for bioexclusion and bio containment by having clear procedures, the right equipment and training to practice good biosecurity, and thorough pest control to minimise risk.

Regular health audits are essential for flock health. He says that farmers should always consult the vet when, for instance, there is a drop of more than five percent in egg production or quality. Incorporating regular monitoring into health strategies – such as worm control – can avoid such situations, improve producers’ understanding of diseases on the farm and enable them to implement a proactive approach to disease management.

Focus on gut health
Digestive health is a main concern in the poultry industry as it has a high impact on production and mortality rates caused by gut diseases. Vermipro, the first Ugandan company to produce agricultural organic inputs, has focused on gut health to maximise food nutrients intake and improve the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) in livestock.

Dr Magdi Osman, an agriculture scientist and chief executive officer of Vermipro noted in a recent interview that apart from genetic selection for high production rates, upgraded management techniques and dietary measures, it is sensible for commercial poultry operations to now look into poultry performance reaching the desired limits by focusing on gut health.

Dr Osman explains that probiotics are a natural alternative to antibiotics. Probiotics are living microorganisms that improve the health of the host animal species when administered in adequate doses.

He says that probiotic supplementation improves gut microbiota, intestinal integrity, and the immune system. Moreover, a gastrointestinal tract populated with beneficial bacteria limits the growth of harmful bacteria and enhances nutrient availability and absorption.

Vermipro offers MegaPlus, a probiotic additive, used with benefits of maximising – FCR, improving growth rate and immunity, increased egg production and quickening slaughter weight gain. Mixed at a ratio of 1:2,000 litres, MegaPlus costs Shs40,000 a litre.

Ventilation 
Ventilation in a poultry house supplies fresh air. Providing proper ventilation to poultry can be mastered by any determined poultry keeper.

If air is not replaced in a poultry enclosure, there will be build-up of carbon dioxide, ammonia and other harmful gases.