Poultry are group of farm animals of avian species.
They are warm blooded animals, peatheres, viviparous (viviparity), which has a
hollow and keel bones, they wings are used for flight and limbs for locomotion
(movement). This group of domestic birds are raised primarily for eggs and meat
production, for family usage and marketing poultry includes chicken (domestic
fow(i.e. broiler or layers). Turkey, ducks, pigeon, guinea fowl, greese ducks
e.t.c some of these birds are with comb and wattle, poultry do not urinate
except the ostrich which is the biggest poultry species. They excretes are
called droppings which combine uric acid and feaces poultry are simple stomach
animals i.e monogastril animals.
Poultry management
Birds
are managed under three 3 major management units.
1. Intensive system
2. Semi-intensive system
3. Extensive system
Intensive system
These is the system by which the
birds are totally confirmed in a particular housing unit. They movement are
restricted to a limited. But all the necessary essential requirement are
provided for effectiveness.
These is done to avoid card wastage
and promote proper planning and management.
These system is divided into two
forms
(a) The battery cage system
(b) Deep litter system
Battery cage system
These is a system in which birds are kept in a
particular cage within a large controlled environment, where feed and water are
available.
They dropping fall either in the below floor (belt) or
on the floor. These excretes are removed manually or automatically depending
which ever. They eggs that are land roll scopes gently into the cradle, for collection.
These system is mostly for egg production.
Advantages
1. Wastage of feed is restricted
2. Birds consume feeds they for lipid
growth and development.
3. It
gives room for adequate and accurate record keeping.
4. Unproductive, sick birds are easily identified
and culled.
5. Easy management
6. Labour can be conserved
7. The exhibition of vice habits to
greatly reduced.
Disadvantages
1. It is capital intensive
2. It’s not suitable for broiler
production
3. They
may be incidence of cage fatigue, due to continues restricted movement.
Deep litter system
This is a system where by birds are housed in a single
large building with litter materials such as wood shaving, saw dust etc three
floor with contains the litter material provides protection for the birds form
cold and excessive heat, because of it insulating property. However, the
litters are usually change occasionally depending on the nature, so as to
prevent disease outbreak and pest.
Advantages
1. It’s suitable for all stages and
classes of poultry.
2. They are free movement of the birds
3. It is most suitable of r broiler
production and breeding.
4. The
litter material acts as a source of animal protein factor (APF), which enhances
growth.
5. It is less capital intensive than
buttery cage.
Disadvantages
1. They is rapid increase of vice outbreak
2. Difficulty in culling productive sick
birds, vis via sa.
3. Feed wastage is witnessed
4. Disease outbreak is very important.
5. Litter management is poor that will
lead to disease out
break
SEMI-INTENSIVE SYSTEM
This system involves the combination of intensive and
extensive system in marriage merit of birds. They are provided with housing, it
is suitable force areas where land supply is limited and it requires some forms
of pasture management.
EXTENSIVE SYSTEM
This is referred to as the
traditional or free-range system it involves free ranging during the day and
sheltering during the night, egg incubation is naturally and they output
production is low. The poultry unit in Royal farms investment Nigeria limited
investment Nigeria limited is under intensive system, which is basely on deep
litter system.
The poultry unit of the farm
comprises five 5 different poultry farms and each contains three 3 different
pens houses and brooder house.
HOUSING
Poultry Housing are constructed so
as to meet the environmental condition of the birds. The body tempt of birds
vary form 40. 60C-41.80c, when this is alter altered, it
will lead to mortality of some border. A good housing system is provided for
the birds for maximum output.
(a) The house
is made up of concrete, roof of asbestores, floor of concrete.
b. The
housing should be on a flat land to avoid erosion and excess sunlight.
c. The birds should be in pens
d. The
walls are about 3-4 ft on the sides for easy ventilation and the remaining
covered with expanded metals, nets which prevent the interest of insects rat,
lizards etc.
e. They are
nylon at side of the walls and door for control measure during brooding.
f. They are
also a functioning food deep and wash hand basin at the wall side which
contained disinfectant at the entrance of each pen house.
The
dropping are regularly cleaned due to needs.
Feeding
1. They are fed daily
2. Their Feeds and waters are served in
the feeders and
drinkers respectively
3. They were fed with marsh.
For broilers
(a) day 1 -
5 weeks = super starter
(b) 5 Week - 8 wks = finisher(broiler
For pullets
(a) Week 1 - 8 wks = chicks master (super starter
(b) Weeks 8 - 18 weeks = Growers
(Mash)
(c) Week 18 - above = layers mash
VACCINATION
Each
farm designs it’s own vaccination program based on the prevalent environmental
condition of the area in particular.
The vaccination program of royal
farms investment Nigeria limited is united below.
Vaccination
programme for broiler production
s/no
|
Days
|
Vaccines/routes
|
1
|
Day
1
|
Lasota
(i/o)intraocular - MULTIVITAMIN + glucomol
in H2o
|
2
|
Day
1-11 day
|
(multivitamin + Antibiotics) in water
|
3
|
Day
12-13 day
|
Free
water
|
4
|
Day
14
|
gumboro
|
5
|
Day
15-16
|
Free
water
|
6
|
Day
17-18
|
H2o
(multivitamin min + Antibiotics) in water
|
7
|
Day
19-20
|
Free
water
|
8
|
21
day
|
lasota
in H2O
|
9
|
22-23
|
Free
|
10
|
24
day
|
H2o
multivitamin in water
|
11
|
Ends
of week 4
|
Coccidiostat
|
12
|
Week
5
|
multivitamin
min + Antibiotics
|
13
|
Week
6
|
Lasota
in H2O
|
14
|
Week7
|
Multivitamin
+ antibiotic in water.
|
15
|
Week8
|
Free
water.
|
VACCINATION PROGRAMME FOR PULLETS
s/no
|
ages
|
Vaccines
|
Routes
|
1
|
Wk1,
Day 1
|
Lasota
(i/0), glucose, multi vitamin for 4-6 hours before feeding
|
Intra
occulu
|
2
|
Day
2-8
|
Antibiotics
and multivitamin
|
Orally
in water
|
3
|
Day
9-13
|
Fresh
H2O + multivitx
|
Orally
in water
|
4
|
Week
2
|
||
5
|
Day
14
|
Gambaro
vaccine (1st shot)
|
Orally
in H2O
|
6
|
Day
15
|
fresh
water
|
|
7
|
Day
16-19
|
Coccidiostat
|
Orally
in H2O
|
8
|
Day
20
|
Fresh
water
|
|
9
|
Week
3
|
||
10
|
Day
21
|
Lasota
vaccine
|
Orally
in H2O
|
11
|
“
22
|
Fresh
water
|
|
12
|
Day
23-27
|
Antibiotics
+ multination
|
Orally
in H2O
|
13
|
Week
4
|
||
14
|
Day
28
|
Fresh
water
|
|
15
|
29
|
Gumboro
vaccine (2nd short)
|
Orally
in H2O
|
16
|
30
|
Fresh
water
|
|
17
|
31-34
|
Coccidiostat/2nd
short
|
Orally
in H2O
|
18
|
Week
5
|
||
19
|
Week
6
|
Fresh
water
|
|
20
|
Day
42
|
Lasota
vaccine
|
|
21
|
43-44
|
Fresh
water
|
|
22
|
Week
7
|
Fowl
pox vaccine
|
Wing
web
|
23
|
Week
8
|
1st
Deworming
|
Orally
in H2O
|
24
|
Week
9
|
Kumorov
vaccine
|
Intra-mashu
1.m
|
25
|
Week
10
|
Multivitx
for 5 days
|
Orally
in H2O
|
26
|
Week
11
|
Antibiotics
+ multivitamin for 5 day
|
Orally
in H2O
|
27
|
Week
12-13
|
Debeaking
|
|
28
|
Week
14
|
Salmonella
vaccine
|
|
29
|
Week
15
|
2nd
deworming and delousing
|
Orally
in H2O
|
30
|
Week
16-18
|
Egg
drop syndrone and Lasota oil
|
1.m
|
Note; Vaccinate lasota every 3-4 weeks as a follow up.
EGG COLLECTION
Eggs
are been collected in the morning hours after feeding the birds and in the
afternoon/ evening after the second feeding.
SORTING/GRADING
The
eggs collected are be sorted, the crack and small size are kept separate in
different create while the normal size are don’t have crack and kept separate
on different create for proper identification based on market purposes and
specification.
MAJOR DAILY ROUTINE ACTIVITIES ON
POULTRY
a. Picking out the dead chicks and conducting
post-
mortem test.
b. Proper farm record keeping.
c. Provision of feeds and water to the
feeders and
drinkers respectively
d. Washing of the drinker and cleaning the
feeders.
e. General observation of the birds,
screening and
isolation. Cleaning
of litter material if need arises.
PREPARATION OF BROODER HOUSE
1. Remove
all equipment feeders, drinks etc and allow them to be in the sum for few days
2. Remove old litres and manure
3. Remove cobweb and dust on the sides of
the wall and
roof.
4. Wash the house thoroughly
5. Cover the house with jute bag or cement
bag or nylon
6. Spread dry wood shaving on the floor
with thickness or
about 5 cm
7. Disinfect with strong disinterment and
fumigate.
Receiving day old chicks
1. The
brooder house should be pre-heated to a tempt of about 300C most
especially in cold weather
2. The
drinkers filled with water containing glucose properly positioned.
3. On
arrival, birds should be allowed, counted for accurate recording, and placed
near the source of water.
4. The
birds should be allowed to drink water for at least 2 hours before feeding.
Monitoring starts, if the chick distributes evenly when best is sufficient, if
is they run off the heater, if means it too high, but if they curdle around the
source of heat, it mean insufficient heat. Heat is provided until they get
feathered.
DISEASE
MANAGEMENT
DISEASES: These is partial or total departure from a normal
state of health. Which can be caused by microbiological organism like,
bacteria, virus, protozoa, e.t.c. parasitic (external and internal) fungi,
nutritional deficiencies or malnutrition’s.
Poultry disease may include;
New castle decease
Causal organism - virus
That is survives in litter and dead birds for months
Transmission
ND virus can be found in feaces and respiratory
discharges. It is transmitted between farms by contaminated equipment, peoples,
air, infected wild birds, improperly cleaned house and dead birds are potent of
ND virus.
AGES AND SPECIES AFFECTED
All age group are susceptible. It affects chickens and
turkeys predominantly but peafowl’s, guinea fowls, quails, pigeons, ducks,
geese, Ostrich and wild and caged birds are also susceptible.
Clinical signs
Mortality is very high, there is depression, anorexia,
prostration respiratory signs e.g laboured breathing, coughing and gasping and
nervous signs such as in-coordination, paralysis, of legs and wings, circling,
backward movement., twisting of neck, stargazing and somersaulting in layers,
reduce in egg production or completely crease
eggs laid may be soft shelled, rough, deformed or off colour.
GROSS LESIONS
Haemorrhages
on the grandular surface of proventriculus
CONTROLS
Vaccination,
maintenance of good hygiene, proper dispose of the dead birds, fumigation of
poultry houses.
AVIAN POX
Causal
organism- Fowl pox virus
Transmission
Infections
occurs through wounds in the mouth, comb, wattles or sink, it introduced and
disseminated by contact with infected bird pox virus can be transmitted in fowl
ticks, lice.
AGES AND SPECIES AFFECTED
All ages are susceptible but it is
seen mostly in birds or 5-12 months of age. It is been reported in chicken,
turkeys and pigeons.
CLINICAL
SIGNS
The
onset is gradual and it spreads slowly and outbreak may last many weeks
The
disease occurs in dry (skin) and wet (mucous members membranes) form
DRY FORM: Presence of pox on unfeathered skin, comb, wattles,
ear cubes, eye birds, corners of beaks, nostrils, neck and sometimes on the
feet, les, vein, and under wings.
The
lesions seen are papules (white modules) vesicles, pustules, scabs or papiloma
like lesion, (grayish brown) when lesson are removed. They leave a raw surface
mortality is low in uncomplicated cases.
WET FORM: Raised white to yellow patches (plaques) in the
mouth, sinuses, nasal cavity, conjunctiva, pharynx, trachea, sides of tongue,
roof of palates and esophagus. Lesions may prevent feeding or occlude the
larynx causing suffocation,. Mortality is higher in this form of pox, up to 50%
GROSS LESIONS
Small
papules on the conjunetiva, Oesophagus, nostril’s, largnx and tracheae, seollen
kidney. With millary nodules.
Controls
Vaccination.
Isolation of the diseased birds for treatment
COCCIDIOSIS
Causal Organism: ProtozoA called eimiria spp.
(Coccidia).
Transmission
Feaces
and litter continuous speculated coccidian oocysts oocysts are the main source
of infection.
AGE AND SPECIES AFFECTED
Clinical sings
Decreased
feed consumption, as egg production. Bloody diarrhea, ruffled leathers,
weaknes, depression, listlessness Hurdling, los of weight, paleness of comb,
shanks, beaks and skin. Mortality is up to 50% in birds.
Control
Use
of drugs like emprolium.etc.