PROVEN WAYS TO MAINTAIN POULTRY HEALTH
Ever wondered why some poultry facilities yield better, cleaner, and healthier poultry birds, while others record sick and diseased stock? This is because some poultry farmers fail to adopt crucial measures that maintain optimal air and environmental quality. Some of these measures include proper aeration and ventilation, parasite control methods, among others.
Proper aeration has a direct effect on environmental conditions and air quality. A poultry with poor ventilation may look like this:
- Sickly birds due to stress from the unpleasant conditions.
Think about it: even when humans live in poor environmental conditions, they get sicker and begin to look as unhealthy as their surroundings. The same goes for poultry birds! They begin to encounter respiratory problems, they get overheated, they get infected by viruses and in severe cases, they die.
- The presence of ectoparasites and fungi.
Yes, poultry birds too can be carriers of livestock ectoparasites including fleas and ticks. Fungi thrives in hot and humid environments therefore a poorly ventilated and damp poultry house will leave room for mold and fungus to grow.
- Reduced or stunted growth and underweight birds
Sick birds living in poor conditions will begin to experience health issues such as feather loss, weight loss, weak bones, cold, anemia, and diarrhea. All of which eventually leads to poor eggs and eggshell quality, and less meat.
- Infection and infectious diseasesĀ
Certain ectoparasites can be the cause of this one, while fungus and mold is ammlso another common cause. Diseases birds can get through poor aeration and ventilation include
Meanwhile, to improve and maintain poultry health via excellent aeration and ventilation, the following measures should be taken:
- Removal of harmful gas producing waste.
Harmful gasses such as ammonia are emitted from bird waste. Despite the fact that the birds themselves are the ones whose waste produced the gas, it has an adverse effect on the respiratory system of birds when they are exposed for too long. Ammonia can be removed through proper ventilation, and proper waste disposal systems. The average chicken coop should be swept clean and disinfected of bird waste, at least once weekly. Apart from improving bird heath it helps keep the bird’s feathers and outward appearance clean. Other local measures applied for this effect is the spreading of sawdust or wood shavings on the floor of the cages. This way, the birds can dispose of their waste while the sawdust helps to wipe their feathers, underbellies and legs clean of bird waste.
- Cross ventilation channels.
This helps reduce the buildup of harmful gasses and helps regulate temperature. In extremely hot temperatures, birds can get overheated and may get sick or faint due to stress. Most importantly, good ventilation and constant fresh air flow helps to reduce excess moisture from the air because excess moisture helps unhealthy fungus and bacteria grow.
Healthy and sustainable poultry practices are most important for a highly productive poultry operation. It reduces disease outbreak both on the birds and the farmers alike, reduces stress and stunted growth in birds, and ensures optimal performance of the farmer’s investment.
Using organic agro-products is a plus in these times of ever increasing awareness of sustainability and environmentally friendly practices because a business grounded in environmentally friendly practices is easily distinguished in the very competitive agricultural marketplace. Thus, you stand to gain loyal and trusting customers who value quality organic products, and healthy livestock over anything else. If you’re still hesitant or confused about how to introduce organic farming into your farm, kindly contact us, and reach out to us for a consultation.
