Saving Poultry from winter stress
- TO get the maximum profit out of the poultry farming business, the birds should be free from all types of stress.
- Nowadays, poultry is facing stress of harsh cold weather which needs :
a) proper management of temperature,
b) humidity,
c) litter, ammonia,
d) feed, water,
e) light and ventilation etc.
f) These are of much importance while managing a flock as they affect its health and production.
- The birds, being homoeothermic species like man, maintain their body temperatures constant round the year. 👌
- During the winter, the temperature must be hot enough so that birds feel comfortable.
a) One must ensure that there are no holes, cracks and crevices in the wall or roof from where air may enter.
b) One must say that optimum temperature requirements are more important for young chicks than older ones
c) because older birds are better insulated with feathers, have less surface area and produce more heat than young chicks.
d) The other thing is uniform distribution of temperature.
e) The behaviour of the birds is a good parameter to assess whether the temperature is uniform in the whole shed or not
- The litter is required to be managed efficiently :
a) because it gets wet quite easily with water coming from loose water pipe connections, drinkers, droppings and roof.
b) This will result in cake formation in the litter which becomes good medium for anaerobic bacterial growth and ammonia production.
c) Another issue of increasingly concern is production of bad odour, especially in the farms close to population. It is also an outcome of wet litter.
- With reference to laying birds, one thing very important is light management. a) it is very much important to give extra dose of light to keep them in production.
b) Light duration of 14-16 hours is recommended.
Cold stress and immunity:
- Cold and moderate nutritional stressors have effect on innate immune component (e.g. phagocytic activity, natural antibody levels), both at cellular and gene levels. 👍
- Environmental stress adversely affects the production performance of commercial poultry.
- Immunomodulator reduces stess by stimulating immuno modulation process thereby enhancing productivity and reduces mortality in all stress factors affecting poultry.👏
- Last but not the least is the general health of the birds, because the birds with good body condition and free of diseases can perform better and develop resistance to harsh seasons. Subhodayam
Dr V. Rajendra Prasad
