High ammonia levels can irritate the respiratory tract of poultry, leading to respiratory issues, reduced lung function, and increased susceptibility to respiratory diseases like coryza and Newcastle disease.

2. Reduced Growth and Performance:

Prolonged exposure to ammonia can lead to stress in birds, impacting their growth and overall performance. Decreased feed intake, lower weight gain, and compromised feed conversion ratios are common consequences.

3. Immune Suppression:

Elevated ammonia levels can suppress the immune system, making birds more vulnerable to infections and diseases. This can result in increased mortality rates and reduced flock health.

4. Eye Irritation:

Ammonia gas can cause eye irritation, leading to watery eyes, inflammation, and discomfort in poultry. In severe cases, it can even lead to blindness.

5. Behavioral Changes:

Birds exposed to high ammonia levels may exhibit abnormal behaviors, including reduced activity, increased aggression, and reduced egg production in layers.

6. Economic Impact:

The negative effects of ammonia on poultry health and performance translate into economic losses for poultry producers due to decreased production efficiency and increased veterinary costs.

Mitigating the ammonia challenge requires proactive measures:

– Proper Ventilation: Adequate ventilation systems can help remove ammonia gas and maintain healthy air quality in the poultry house.
– Optimal Litter Management: Regular cleaning and appropriate management of litter help minimize ammonia accumulation.
– Nutrition and Water Management: Proper nutrition and clean drinking water support bird health and reduce waste, which contributes to ammonia production.


Addressing the ammonia challenge in poultry production not only enhances bird welfare but also improves overall flock performance, resulting in healthier and more productive flocks.

On National Egg Day, people are encouraged to incorporate eggs into their meals and appreciate the benefits they offer. It’s a great opportunity to try out new egg recipes, such as omelettes, scrambled eggs, frittatas, or even baking with eggs.

In addition to their nutritional value, eggs symbolize new beginnings and growth, making National Egg Day a perfect time to reflect on personal growth and positive changes in our lives.

So, on this National Egg Day, let’s celebrate the incredible egg and all the ways it contributes to our health and well-being. Enjoy an egg-cellent day filled with delicious egg dishes and appreciation for this incredible food

Disease prevention and control:

Veterinarians are expert in diagnosing, preventing, and controlling diseases in poultry. They play a vital role in implementing biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases. Through regular health monitoring, vaccination programs, and disease surveillance, veterinarians help minimize disease outbreaks and ensure the overall health of the poultry flock.

Treatment and medical care:

When poultry fall ill or encounter health issues, veterinarians diagnose the problems and provide appropriate treatment. They prescribe medications, administer vaccinations, and offer medical interventions to promote the recovery and well-being of individual birds.

Emergency response and disease control measures:

During disease outbreaks or emergencies, veterinarians play a critical role in coordinating rapid response efforts. They collaborate with government agencies, industry stakeholders, and other veterinary professionals to implement disease control measures, such as quarantine, depopulation, and disinfection protocols, to contain and manage the spread of diseases.

Food safety and public health:

Veterinarians ensure that poultry products meet stringent food safety standards and regulations. They provide guidance on proper medication withdrawal periods to avoid residues in poultry meat and eggs, minimizing potential risks to human health. Veterinarians also contribute to public health by monitoring zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans and implementing measures to prevent their spread.

Research and innovation:

Veterinarians contribute to scientific research and innovation in the poultry industry. They conduct studies to understand and address emerging health issues, develop new vaccines and treatments, and improve production practices. Their research findings help advance knowledge and promote continuous improvement in poultry health, welfare, and productivity.

Overall, veterinarians play a vital role in ensuring the health, welfare, and productivity of poultry in the industry. Their expertise in disease prevention, treatment, emergency response, and food safety contributes to the sustainable and responsible growth of the poultry sector

Farm-Level Employment:

The poultry industry provides employment opportunities at various levels of poultry farming. Small-scale, medium-scale, and large-scale poultry farms require workers for tasks such as feeding, watering, cleaning, and maintaining poultry houses. These farms also employ skilled workers for breeding, vaccination, and flock management.

Contract Farming:

Contract farming arrangements are common in the poultry industry, where large poultry companies provide inputs, technical support, and market linkages to contract farmers. This model creates employment opportunities for contract farmers who raise poultry birds as per the company’s requirements. It also supports ancillary services such as feed suppliers, veterinary services, and transportation.

Processing and Manufacturing:

The poultry industry has a significant processing and manufacturing sector, which includes poultry meat processing plants and egg grading and packaging facilities. These operations require a workforce for tasks such as meat processing, quality control, packaging, labeling, and distribution

Supply Chain and Logistics:

The poultry industry creates employment opportunities in the supply chain and logistics sector. This includes transportation of poultry products from farms to processing plants, distribution to retail outlets and markets, and export logistics. Workers are employed as drivers, logistics coordinators, warehouse staff, and distribution personnel.

Retail and Marketing:

Poultry products are distributed through various retail channels, including supermarkets, grocery stores, and specialized poultry shops. These outlets require employees for sales, customer service, inventory management, and marketing activities.

Veterinary and Healthcare Services:

The poultry industry creates demand for veterinary services to ensure the health and well-being of poultry flocks. Veterinarians, veterinary assistants, and animal health professionals are employed to provide healthcare, disease prevention, and treatment services to poultry farms.

Research and Development:

The poultry industry also offers employment opportunities in research and development. Scientists, researchers, and technical experts are engaged in studying poultry nutrition, genetics, disease management, and technological advancements to improve production efficiency and address industry challenges.

Supporting Industries:

The poultry industry generates employment in supporting sectors such as feed manufacturing, equipment suppliers, packaging materials, biosecurity products, and pharmaceuticals. These industries provide employment opportunities in manufacturing, sales, marketing, and distribution.

The employment opportunities provided by the poultry industry have a significant impact on rural development, livelihoods, and income generation. It creates both direct and indirect employment, supporting the economy and improving the socio-economic conditions of individuals and communities involved in poultry production and its associated sectors.

Automated Monitoring and Control Systems:

AI-powered sensors and monitoring systems continuously collect data on parameters such as temperature, humidity, ammonia levels, feed consumption, and water usage in poultry houses. AI algorithms analyze this data in real-time to make adjustments to environmental conditions, optimize ventilation, and ensure optimal conditions for bird health and productivity.

Image Analysis and Recognition:

Computer vision technology and AI algorithms can analyze images and videos of poultry to monitor bird behavior, detect signs of distress or disease, and identify individual birds for tracking purposes. This enables early disease detection, targeted interventions, and improved flock management.

Predictive Analytics:

AI algorithms analyze historical and real-time data from poultry farms, such as production parameters, environmental conditions, and bird health records, to predict outcomes and trends. This helps farmers make informed decisions about feed management, disease prevention, vaccination schedules, and production planning

Disease Detection and Prevention:

AI-powered systems can analyze data from various sources, including bird behavior, health records, environmental factors, and genetic information, to detect early signs of disease outbreaks. This enables timely intervention, biosecurity measures, and targeted treatments, reducing the impact of diseases on poultry health and production.

Feed Optimization:

AI algorithms analyze data on bird growth rates, feed consumption, nutrient requirements, and ingredient availability to optimize feed formulations. This helps in formulating balanced diets, reducing feed costs, improving feed efficiency, and promoting optimal growth and performance.

Robotic Systems:

AI-powered robots are being developed to automate tasks in poultry production, such as egg collection, cleaning, and environmental monitoring. These robots can navigate poultry houses, gather data, perform routine tasks, and reduce the need for manual labor.

Decision Support Systems:

AI-based decision support systems provide farmers with real-time insights, recommendations, and alerts based on data analysis. These systems help farmers optimize production parameters, manage risks, and make informed decisions about flock management, biosecurity, and resource allocation.

Precision Livestock Farming:

AI technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearable sensors, and AI analytics, are integrated to create smart and interconnected systems for precision livestock farming. This allows for real-time monitoring, data-driven management, and automation of various aspects of poultry production.

These AI applications in poultry production aim to enhance productivity, optimize resource utilization, improve animal welfare, and support sustainable and efficient farming practices. As technology continues to advance, new AI applications are being developed to address specific challenges and improve the overall performance of the poultry industry.

The basic principle is that processing alters the physicochemical properties of the cellulose/hemicellulose contained in the feedstuffs, so they become more susceptible to microbial degradation in the rumen, increasing the propionate: acetate ratio in the rumen.

There are various processes available that enhance the bioavailability of the nutrients from the roughages. Some of the methods are described hereunder:

1. Chaffing

Chaffing is the process by which the long forage particles are cut into 1- 4 cm long pieces either by hand choppers or motor power operated chaff cutter. By chaffing, the considerable wastage due to soiling and selective feeding of softer parts of the forages is reduced. It increases the density, reduces the time of mastication, and also increases the rate of passage through the gastrointestinal tract which leads to increased voluntary feed intake. Smaller particles require less degradation time in the as it exposes the relatively large surface area of roughages for microbial attachment. Thus, it improves forage digestibility with little cost. During chaffing nails or any metal part if available in the forage will stick to the magnets placed around the machine and that will help in preventing the clinical condition of the animals. The disadvantage is leaf loss is possible during chopping and if green forage has higher moisture content then there is high moisture loss is observed.

2. Grinding

In the grinding dry hay and straw are ground to less than 1-inch particle size in length. it will increase the total dry matter intake of poor quality roughage. Feeding of ground forage will reduce the relative acetic acid concentration in the rumen thus milk fat will be dropped. It increases the dustiness of the roughage and to prevent generally molasses is added. 

3. Shredding

It is similar to chopping, but in shredding, stems are cut longitudinally rather than crosswise. It is generally used for coarse forages (fodder, stover). Compare to chopping it has been seen that it increases more surface area for the larger exposure to the microbial attachment and due to longer particles it increases the portion of physical effective fiber which helps in increasing rumination, saliva production and improves ruminal motility. 

4. Baling

In this method, forage is harvested and settled in the field for drying off. In the high humid areas, a hay conditioner can be used for drying off the forage. The moisture content of the forage should be somewhere around 15-20 percent at the time of baling. Bales are packed or bundles of convenient size of roughages these are usually made round or square-shaped. Round bales can be kept in the field without much damage as such as this can shed the rainwater effectively. Bales can be 20-120 kg in size. In India due to chip labor baling machine is not used and instead, labor is used to bundling the forage which is stored in the farmyard. Baling is generally used in developed countries.

5. Cubing

In cubing dry roughage is sprayed with water moreover with chopping and it is compressed to 2 to 3-inch diameter and 1 to 4-inch length cylindrical cubes. Cubes are just like pellets with a bigger size. It can be cubed in a square shape also. The digestion of soluble and readily-digestible constituents in cubed diets is completed in the rumen, and digesta passes faster than unprocessed fodder. It has the advantage that it can be fed on the ground clean in the pasture without troughs and with minimal wastage during feeding. But the method is a bit costly.

6. Pelleting

For pelleting unlike cubing grinding is a must thus pelleting possesses most of the advantages and disadvantages of grinding. The voluntary consumption of pelleted forages is higher as the retention time is lesser, so the efficiency of the animal increases with an increase in propionate content. Pelleting of the forages increases the density and reduces the storage space required as much as 75% reduction can be obtained. It reduces the dustiness of the dry hay and straw. Pelleting is a much expensive method and the forage pelleting process is twice costly compare to the concentrate pelleting process

7.Irradiation

Improvement in the digestibility of poor quality roughage is observed when it is treated with high voltage X- rays due to the breaking of cellulose and hemicellulose bonds, which results in the formation of oligosaccharides, which can be utilized by the rumen organisms. Forage lignin is seen to resist irradiation. It also improves the calciferol concentration of the forages by converting ergosterol, a plant sterol. The method is costly and needs high skilled laborers for preventing hazards. 

8. Water washing

In this method chaffed straw is dipped in water for about two hours. Then water is decanted and washing is repeated twice. This practice is useful for the treatment of paddy straw as it enhances palatability and removes the greater proportion of water-soluble oxalates (oxalates reduce the availability of calcium in animals). Washing does not affect the energy value of paddy straw. This method is very simple and can be adopted easily by dairy farmers.

9.Water soaking

In this method chaffed dry roughages is soaked in water for more than 3-4 hours. Due to the swelling and softening of the straw, the voluntary feed intake of the animal increases by 7-10 percent, which may be attributed to the increased rate of passage through the gastrointestinal tract of the animal.

Take home message

With the help of technology, we can improve the quality of roughages with little cost which may help in better digestibility of the forages. Some technologies besides improving fodder digestibility also enhance the shelf-life of the roughage and help in maintaining the supply chain of roughage. some of the technologies help in reducing the space requirement thus makes it easy to transport and store bulky forages. Appropriate technology as per the requirement should be opted as per guidance from nutritionist.

Designer food refers to the food that is designed to have some health benefits other than its traditional nutritional value. ‘Designer food’, ‘functional food’ and ‘fortified food’ are synonym, which refers to the food fortified or enriched with nutrient content already present in them or other complementary nutrient. Eggs are the most excellent vehicles to incorporate health-promoting components in it. Herbal enriched eggs can be produced by the incorporation of herbal active principles like allicin, betaine, eugenol, lumiflavin, lutein, sulforaphane, taurine, and many more active principles of the herbs, depending upon the herbs fed to the hens (Table 1). 

Phytobiotics or plant-derived products containing several plant secondary metabolites can be used in poultry feed to improve the performance of hen and to produce herbal enriched super eggs. Chicken feed will be supplemented with herbs like garlic/onion leaves, spirulina, basil leaves, turmeric powder, citrus pulp, flaxseed, red pepper, fenugreek seeds etc. These super eggs will be having a lower LDL cholesterol, immunomodulator property, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic properties, higher omega-3 fatty acids etc. For example normal egg have vitamin E content of 90-100 µg /g yolk whereas herbal supplemented egg have 220 – 240 µg / g yolk which added to its increased antioxidant property. All these indicating that the overall health promotion in hens as well as possible health promotion in humans is possible by popularizing herbal enriched eggs.

Table 1: Active ingredients present in herbs/herbal enriched functional eggs and their function concerning human health (Narahari et al., 2004) 

Narahari et al., (2005) fed different herbs such as garlic, fenugreek, bay leaves, basil leaves and spirulina and reported there was significant differences (P<0.05) between the regular and Herbal Enriched Designer Eggs in Iodine values. The reason behind this finding can be higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids, in all the 6 Designer Eggs. Moreover, these eggs had about 25% lesser cholesterol in their yolks, compared to ordinary eggs. Feeding such Herbal Enriched Designer Eggs to human volunteers has resulted in a significant reduction in their Triglycerides (TG) levels, increased the good HDL cholesterol, improved immunity, and hematocrit. The peroxide value and percent Free Fatty Acids (FFA) also showed significantly higher, values for certain Herbal Enriched Designer Eggs than the regular egg. 

The ferric reducing ability of plasma value (FRAP value) of the eggs, which is the direct estimate of the antioxidant property of any substance suggested that the Bay Leaves enriched eggs had the highest antioxidant property. Garlic and Basil leave supplemented eggs also possessed better antioxidant properties. The active principles of Murrayanol, Mahanibine, and Mahanine present in Bay leaves might get incorporated in the egg and enhanced the antioxidant property of these eggs. The FRAP value observed in Herbal Enriched Designer Eggs was comparable with the FRAP values of apricot, mango, and peach reported by Guo et al. (2003). Similarly, observations were made earlier by Ryu et al. (2001), Tachibana et al. (2003), Michealraj (2004), and Narahari et al. (2004).

Among the Herbal Enriched Designer Eggs, Basil leaves and Garlic was found to be more effective in reducing the yolk cholesterol levels. Chowdhury et al. (2002) and Michealraj (2004) reported earlier the powerful hypercholesteremic effects of Garlic. Kirubakaran (2003) and Narahari et al. (2004) reported the cholesterol-lowering property of the Basil leaves. 

Narahari et al., (2005) found Herbal Enriched Designer Eggs had significantly (P<0.01) higher IgY levels than regular eggs indicating that the herbs, especially the Garlic, Fenugreek, and Basil leaves were having powerful immunomodulating properties. In the hens also the immunity levels were boosted due to the designer feeds and herbs. Michealraj (2004) and Narahari et al. (2004) also reported higher immunomodulating status in eggs and hens due to designer feeds and herbs

Narahari et al., (2005) found the consumer acceptability of the hard-boiled designer eggs, except Garlic, were comparable or better than regular eggs. Garlic supplementation in hens’ feed had incorporated the strong flavor of the garlic, which was not much accepted by the panelists. On the other hand, Bay leaves and spirulina supplemented eggs recorded better consumer acceptability due to richer yolk color. Michealraj (2004) reported a lesser consumer acceptance score for Garlic. 

Herbal Enriched Designer Eggs had significantly (P<0.01) higher levels of yolk carotenoids and Roche yolk color values, due to more pigments present in these feeds. Bay leaves, Basil leaves and spirulina enriched eggs had high pigment levels than other eggs. Sujatha (2002), Kirubakaran (2003), and Michealraj (2004) observed darker yolks due to more carotenoids in the functional feeds.

Herbs for egg shell quality

Eggs with inferior shell quality are a major economic loss to poultry industry. It is estimated that due to poor shell quality about 6-8% of eggs are lost in different phase of egg handling system from point of production to point of consumption. A number of factors regulate egg shell quality viz. genetics, age, nutrition and environment (Batshan et al., 1994). As age advances proportion of yolk increases, whereas proportions of albumen and shell thickness decreases. Calcium is the key macromineral involved in shell formation and is also required for maintenance and production of laying hens. However, hens’ ability to absorb Ca from digestive tract and medullary bones is reduced with age (Ousterhout, 1980). Both shell thickness and shell stiffness decrease as age advances because increased demand for Ca deposition to construct eggshell may be compromised since requirement is not met by normal diet and additional sources of Ca are required to be supplemented (Summers and Leeson, 1983). 

Many herbs are known to positively influence the absorption and assimilation of minerals such as Cissus quadrangularis, Zingiber officinale, Lepidium sativum, Terminalia arjuna, Cestrum diurnum and Uraria picta. Cissus quadrangularis is a medicinal and culinary plant native to India and Africa. It is reported that aqueous extracts of plant Cissus quadrangularis have calcium and phosphorus mineralisation properties and this helps early completion of calciferous process and remodelling phenomenon. Its anabolic steroidal principles (β-sitosterol, δ amyrone and δ amyrin) have marked antistress activity. 

Sharma et al. (2009) supplemented birds with ayucal premix and ayucal liquid and studied egg weight, shell thickness, breaking strength, number of shell defects and specific gravity of egg in the treatment as well control group. Researcher found that there was improvement in the overall egg shell quality in the treatment group and they correlated this results with the activity of herbal constituents fed to the treatment group.

REFERENCE

Batshan, H., Garlic, J. D., & Anderson, K. E. (1994). Duodenal calcium uptake, femur ash and egg shell quality decline with age & increase following molt. Poul. Sci, 73, 1509–1516.

Chowdhury, S.R., Chowdhury, S.D. and Smith, T.K. 2002. Effects of dietary garlic on cholesterol metabolism in laying hens. Poultry Science, 81: 1856-1862. 

Guo, C., Yang, J., Wei, J., Li, Y., Xu, J. And Jiang, Y. (2003) Antioxidant activities of peel, pulp and seed fractions of common fruits as determined by FRAP assay. Journal of Nutrition Research. 23: 1719-1726. 

Kirubakaran, A., (2003) Influence of different diets on egg composition and quality. M.V.Sc., Thesis, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences university, Chennai, India.  

Michealraj, P (2004) Dietary factors influencing the serum and yolk cholesterol levels in hens. M.V.Sc. Thesis, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences university, Chennai, India.

Narahari D, P. Michealraj, A. Kirubakaran And T. Sujatha. Antioxidant, cholesterol reducing, immunomodulating and other health promoting properties of herbal enriched designer eggs. XI th European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products Doorwerth, The Netherlands, 23-26 May 2005. 194 – 201

Narahari, D., Kirubakaran, A. Ahmed, M. And Michealraj, P. (2004) Improved Designed egg production using herbal enriched functional feeds. In: XXII World’s Poultry Congress, Istanbul, Turkey: 847.

Ousterhout, L. E. (1980). Effects of calcium and phosphorus levels on egg weight and egg shell quality in laying hens. Poultry Science, 59(7), 1480–1484. 

Ryu, K., Ide, N., Matsuura, H. And Itakura, Y. (2001) N α-(1-Deoxy-D-fructose-1-yl)-LArginine, an antioxidant compound identified in aged garlic extract. Journal of Nutrition, 131: 972- 976. 

Sharma, R. K., Rekhe, D. S., & Rastogi, S. K. (n.d.). 3 Influence of calcium and phosphorus supplements with synergistic herbs on egg shell quality in late layers Veterinary World. 2, 231–233.

Sujatha, T. (2002) Methods to enrich the nutritional value of chicken egg. M.V.Sc., Thesis, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India.

Summers, J. D., & Leeson, S. (1983). Factors influencing early egg size. Poultry Science, 62(7), 1155–1159. 

Tachibana, Y., Kikuzaki, H., Lajis, N.H. And Nakatani, N. (2003) Comparison of antioxidative properties of carbazole alkaloids from Murraya Koenigii leaves. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, 22: 6561-6467

An apple a day keeps the doctor away but an egg a day can also keep diseases at bay. Egg is a true superfood. Egg is a packed with high quality protein. ‘World Egg Day’ spreads awareness about the benefits of eating eggs daily.

Why do we Celebrate World Egg Day:
Globally malnutrition is a big challenge. Eggs could prove to be a solution to the issue. World Egg Day is celebrated to make people aware of the nutrients present in eggs and inform them about the benefits of its consumption.

Egg is rich source of protein, vitamins, amino acids. As per doctors  one egg must be consumed by everyone for better health.

History of World Egg Day:

World Egg Day was celebrated for the first time in 1996 when it was decided to celebrate the power of the egg. In a conference in Vienna, the International Egg Commission (IEC) announced the celebration of World Egg Day. Since then World Egg Day is celebrated every year on the second Friday of October month.

People celebrate this day in a very creative way in 40 countries around the world. Various programs are also organized all over the world to tell about the importance and nutritional value of eggs.

World Egg Day 2022 Theme

Every year, World Egg Day is celebrated with a new theme. This time the theme of the day is “Egg for a Better Life” The theme explains the importance of eggs in our daily nutrition and encourages people to include eggs in their daily diet.

What is Intussusception

Intussusception is telescoping of lower part of intestine(jejunum) , caused by violent  reverse peristaltic movements of intestine , triggered due to hunger stress leading to mortality. This happens in feed restricted  grower pullet female of broiler breeders mainly.

On post-mortem –

– Birds are anemic , telescoped jejunal part of intestine as shown in picture , blood in crop and proventriculus .

-There is clotted blood on face and cloacal area of bird and in few cases , when severity is more, small or large part of intestine is prolapsed out of cloacal opening.

Pre-disposing factors-

– Feed restriction in grower  birds to keep the body weight up to required recommended standards by the breeding company , is the main reason for Intussusception. Only  female birds  are having problem as males are getting more allowance post feed restriction at 3rd week of age.

-Any problem which leads to non-uniform feed intake which might be due to non-uniform feed distribution, less feeding space or more competition in non-uniform sized birds.

– Poor chick quality , yolk sac infection, gout or any other disease outbreak  which make birds non- uniform.

– Coccidiosis, Enteritis , Necrotic Enteritis and Endoparasites.

-Overcrowding at any stage leading to more competition and non -uniform feed intake  , like after 100% grading , overweight grade birds getting less feed, also leads to the problem of Intussusception.

– Overweight birds in first 2-4 weeks of age , make birds more prone to intussusception as later feed provision in growing tends to be less to control body weight.

-Nutritional Imbalance- high CP% in chick feed and less ME in growing feed increases the problem.

-Genetic factor – Certain breeds of broiler breeder are more susceptible.

How to control Intussusceptions-

1.Good start to chicks-

-Ensure  minimum depletions in first  week  by using some good antibiotic and anti- Mycoplasma drug followed by some good probiotics which will ensure better uniformity%.

2.Proper brooding and growing space- 

-Routine  24”X 15”  size brooding cum growing cage- 8-10 chicks only while brooding and then keep on giving space from 2nd week, 6 female and 5 male per cage up to only 5th week, 5 female and 4 male up to 9th week , and 4 female and 3 male per cage only up to  maximum 14th week of age.

3.Gut health of birds –

 -Use good pre-biotics, probiotics, postbiotics, essential-oil based products, butyrates or bacteriophages etc. ensure  good intestinal health of the bird.

-AGPs can be used if required to treat the Enteritis or NE . However use of antibiotics might increase problem due to intestinal thinning caused by its use, so use judiciously.

-Coccidiosis prevention and control is must as normally Coccidiosis outbreak make bird prone to Enteritis and Necrotic Enteritis which further aggravates the problem. Amprolium, Toltazuril and Supha drug preparation are used to prevent/ treat Coccidiosis.

-Deworming to control worm infestation required not only in deep litter/ slat housed birds but mandatory to control in cage housed birds also. Anthelmintic drugs like Levamisole, Albendazole etc.  used to control worm infestations.

4. Balanced nutrition-

  – Two phase chick feeding- up to 4th week- give 2800 Kcal ME and 18.5% CP

                                      -5th and 6th week- give 2800 Kcal ME and 17% CP

– In growing feed – go for not less than 2750 Kcal ME. More ME means more energy available with the birds to fulfill the satiety of the birds preventing violent reverse peristaltic movement of intestine.

 ( Earlier  nutrient recommendation from VHL of 21% CP in chick feed and 2600 Kcal ME in grower feed led to more intussusceptions, now new grower feed recommendation is 2750 Kcal of ME.)

-Need to have balanced Dietary Fiber% also along with required Metabolizable Energy. 

5.Feeding management-

-Restrict feed of female and males by 15-16th day of age.

-Feeding time should be less and uniform feeding. Cup feeding is better than plate feeding , being more uniform.

-Feeding should start at same time every day , start from same shed and same row every day and feeding should complete within almost same time every day.

-Try to avoid shifting of feed from morning to evening during 100% grading by weight. 

– In Mash feed- particle size should be coarse which helps in better crop and gut development of birds.

– Diluted feed, in terms of CP%, giving more daily feed allowance, helps in reducing the competition and more uniformity of the flock.

-Black-out housing in growing , meant for reducing the effect of season on flock’s performance , also helps to some extent in controlling intussusception.

* Article based on field experience mainly.

*Ref. Articles-

-Intussusception of jejunum in pullet naturally infected with coccidiosis, June, 2014 Indian Journal of Veterinary Pathology.

-Jejunal intussusceptions associated with Necrotic Enteritis in a pullet flock in Nigeria, 2011, Asian Journal of poultry science.

Dr. Sushil Kumar Dhariwal
Breeder & Hatchery Operation Consultant
Royal Poultry Consultancy Services Karnal (Haryana)
Mobile – 9029520001

1.Causes of early chicks mortality.

a. Genetics

b. Infections

c. Management

d. Nutrition

2.Prevention/Treatment/General Guidelines

1.Causes of early chicks mortality

There are several factors affecting early chick mortality; however, common causes of early chick mortality have been divided into 4 categories:

a. Genetics

b. Infections

c. Management

d. Nutrition

A. Genetic causes of early chicks mortality

Poor health of parental flocks leads to production of low quality and unhealthy chicks. Many diseases from breeder flocks can be transferred to chicks which causes early chick mortality. Improper and unhygienic incubation conditions can also lead to poor quality chick production.

B. Infectious causes of early chicks mortality

Chicks have a weak immune system; hence they are more susceptible to infections. Common diseases which lead to early chick mortality are:

OMPHALITIS

Also known as Yolk sac infection; causative agents are E. coli (most common), Pseudomonas and Staphylococci.

Clinical signs: Dullness, pasty vent

Gross lesions: unabsorbed yolk, yolk discoloration to yellow green/brown

FOWL TYPHOID: caused by Salmonella gallinarum

Clinical signs: Watery-yellowish diarrhea, Reduced feed consumption

Gross lesions: Enlargement of spleen & Liver. Characteristic copper color of liver with white necrotic foci

BROODER’S PNEUMONIA / ASPERGILLOSIS: caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. High moisture contents litter provides suitable environmental for the growth of fungus.

Clinical signs: Difficulty in breathing, dullness, whistling rales

Gross lesions:     Presence of Yellowish nodules in the lungs & air sacs

C. Managemental causes of early chicks mortality

1 Overheating

2 Chilling and Piling

3 Lack of Feed

4 Overcrowding

5 Faulty Vaccination

6 Predators

7 Gas poisoning

OVERHEATING

High brooding temperature causes loss of water from the body, when this water loss reaches about 10% the chick die due to dehydration. Vent Pasting is another problem of high brooding temperature in which feces become stacked around the vent area causing blockage of the vent which ultimately results in death.

CHILLING

Low brooding temperature causes pneumonia problem in young chicks, in which the color of lungs become blue. During low temperature chicks huddle together to maintain body temperature which results in piling/smothering and death.

LACK OF FEED

Young chicks do not have fat storage to fulfill body needs during starvation, so it results in death.

OVERCROWDING

Less floor space is another cause of mortality in chicks as it causes dampness of the litter material which become a suitable site for the multiplication of micro organism, causing, coccidiosis etc. Providing less feeder and waterer space to chicks causes starvation and death.

FAULTY VACCINATION

Mishandling during vaccination or vaccinating at wrong site can lead to higher mortality rates in chicks.

PREDATORS

Predators like Rat, Dog, Cat etc. also cause mortality especially if brooding houses are not properly constructed.

GAS POISONING

High concentration of different toxic gases also causes mortality which are;

Ammonia : It causes irritation of mucous membrane & eyes, low feed consumption, reduced growth rate, loss of cilia in the trachea , hemorrhages and death at level above 100 ppm, so its concentration should be less than 25 ppm.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2): If the conc. of CO2 goes beyond 30%, it causes suffocation and death.

Carbon Monoxide (CO): CO combines with hemoglobin to form carboxy-hemoglobin which is unable to transport oxygen. The lethal conc. of CO is 2000-3600 ppm .

D. Nutritional causes of early chicks mortality

Water: Water plays an important role in maintaining the health and performance of the birds. It acts as a transport medium for nutrients and metabolic end products. It helps in maintaining deep body temperature during hot weather. Imbalance and unhygienic water causes high mortality.

Deficiency of vitamins: Severe deficiency of vitamins causes death, but minor deficiency causes cessation of growth, ruffled feather, lacrimation, rickets, encephalomalacia, exudative diathesis and anemia.

Lameness: Deficiency or imbalance of Calcium, Phosphorus and some trace minerals may lead to leg abnormalities which make feed and water inaccessible to birds leading to mortality.

2.. General Guidelines to minimize early chicks mortality

The first step taken in the treatment of early chick mortality should be an investigation into the underlying cause. To prevent early chick losses, following measures should be considered:

Buy chicks only from trusted suppliers: Most of the health problems affecting birds are due to low genetic background. Hence, it is vital to buy chicks from a reputable and trusted supplier who raises healthy parent stocks.

Housing management: Proper cleaning and washing of shed & use of terminal disinfectant between flocks is necessary to reduce microbial load.

Biosecurity: Adopt strict bio-security measures. Keep the farm protected from predators.

Supply sufficient space to chicks: Proper space is necessary according the age of birds (1 sq.ft. for 4 chicks). No. of drinkers should be 2%. Keep drinkers and feeders clean. Proper care on cross-ventilation should be given especially during brooding period. An inlet & outlet for air should be kept in brooders house.

Management of litter: Before placement of litter, it is better to dry it in the sunlight. Use copper sulphate spray upon litter (10g/litre) before arrival of chicks.

Prevention of temperature problems: To prevent the problems of dehydration, pasting, chilling and smothering; adjust the brooding temperature atleast 6 hours before placing the chicks in the shed. Try to maintain the brooding temperature throughout the shed uniformly.

Water consumption: Water consumption of the chicks should also be monitored regularly and height of drinkers should be adjusted with time.

Unavoidable stress like touching, debeaking or vaccination should be done only when the chicks are comfortable.

Strictly follow vaccination schedules recommended as per location and history of your farm. If mortality is due to any infection, follow strict medication schedule as recommended by veterinarian.

Arrange regular visit of a veterinarian to check flock health status

Authors

Dr. Rishabh Chugh
M.V.Sc. (Animal nutrition)
Director, Brinda Feeds Pvt Ltd

Dr. Rashika Srivastava
PhD. Scholar
Animal Nutrition (NDRI)

Dr. Parul Rana
PhD. Scholar
Animal Nutrition (NDRI)