Managing your flocks this long rainy season

As the skies open up during this rainy season, farmers must take several measures to ensure their poultry flocks remain in good health for maximum production.  

Here are a few of them:

Good Housing: The best way to keep your family and animals safe is disaster preparedness. Brood your chicks on the higher ground. I have seen some farmers put a wire mess raised above the ground by three feet in the same house. It works wonders and the birds have little or no contact with manure. Earthen floors during rainy weather are a disaster in waiting; if it is possible, brood in concrete floor pens as they are easy to heat up and can be immediately drained in case of flooding.

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Temperature control: Establish a thermoneutral zone. During this period, the birds are likely to be chilled, hence an urgent need to make sure the heat stove is alight and radiating enough heat to keep the chicks warm and comfortable. The concrete floor temperature should be set at 28–30°C. If you fail to provide correct temperatures, chick mortality may rise, and even if they don’t die, the growth rates will be retarded and result in a delay in slaughter.

Try to establish a good environment where some birds drink, feed, play, and sleep. A good indicator of floor temperature is the temperature of the chicks’ feet. If the feet are cold, re-evaluate the heating system and litter temperature. If temperatures fall below 21°C, there is an upsurge in Oxygen demand, leading to water belly. It occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood through the lungs, heart, liver, and blood vessels, especially around the intestines.

This pressure results in fluid being squeezed out of the veins into the abdominal cavity, creating a “water belly.” Birds, especially broilers with water belly conditions, are usually rejected at the market, resulting in losses to the farmer. It’s important to reduce stress in birds during the cold season. Ensure feed and water are available all the time, reduce light intensity to a level of one candlelight, and walk the birds at least twice a day in the unit. Boost their diet with supplementary vitamins and minerals during this period.

Litter management: If properly taken care of, there is no need to replace litter every week. Wet litter can only occur when something has gone wrong with your management system, environment, or the health of the flock. Wood shavings are still the best alternative bedding for commercial chickens, as they have good moisture-holding capacity and are easy to keep dry and friable. Try as much as possible to keep just enough litter in the chicken house; a litter depth of eight centimetres is ideal to absorb moisture.

Be aware of coccidiosis: It is caused by a protozoal organism called Eimeria and is common during the rainy season. This organism is known to invade the intestinal lining of birds following direct ingestion from wet, contaminated litter. Once inside the intestinal gut of a chicken, it destroys the inner lining of the gut, completely disrupting the ability of the chicken to digest and assimilate nutrients for growth and production. Very observant farmers tend to notice a gradual change of colour of faecal droppings from the normal dark brown, with an occasional white cap to yellow, then to orange, and if not treated at this stage, turns to red loose faeces. In severe infections, birds tend to lose appetite, drop in weight, and the egg-laying rate will decline. Ensure your litter in the flock unit is always dry and friable at all times.

Repair any water leaks and ensure the units are properly ventilated to remove any excess moisture. Dry litter will reduce the multiplication of the cocci eggs in the litter. Stick to the correct stocking density for the type of bird and system of production. For further information, consult your local vet.

[Dr Messo is the company veterinarian, Kenchic; watsonmesso@yahoo.com]