Common Poultry Management Problems & How to Control Them

In this blog, we will delve into common health issues that affect poultry, including ascites, heat stress, breast blisters, hock burns, and nutritional deficiencies. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and preventive measures for these conditions is essential in safeguarding the health and performance of your birds.

1. Ascites

Ascites is a common condition in chicks that is characterized by the accumulation of excessive fluid in the abdominal cavity. It is caused by a range of physiological and metabolic changes that result from dietary, environmental, and genetic factors.

This condition is particularly problematic in young, fast-growing broilers, as it leads to high mortality rates and condemnation at processing plants.

Ascites is also known as edema disease, water belly, high altitude disease, and congestive heart failure.

The mortality rate associated with ascites ranges from 3-20%.

Post-mortem examination of affected birds reveals large quantities of clear or straw-colored fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms include an enlarged heart with excessive dilation of the right ventricle, swelling of the liver, kidney, and spleen, and congestion in the lungs.

Causes of Ascites

Reduced oxygen tension in the blood, also known as hypoxemia, is a condition in which there is an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the blood. In response to this shortage, birds increase blood flow to the lungs and increase the number of red blood cells.

This increased workload places strain on the right side of the heart, causing it to enlarge and become weaker. As a result, abdominal organs become congested with blood, leading to straw-colored fluid escaping into the abdominal cavity.

It is important to note that any factor that reduces the availability of oxygen or increases the broiler's need for oxygen will increase the occurrence of ascites.

Factors responsible for the occurrence of ascites in a broiler flock;

Altitude- High altitude reduces oxygen and therefore leads to lower oxygen pressure.

Ventilation- Inadequate ventilation will reduce the air's oxygen content and increase the concentration of gases (Ammonia) and dust particles that may damage the lungs or directly interfere with oxygen uptake.

Respiratory infections - Any disease affecting the lungs may be a contributing factor to Ascites. Impaired lung efficiency will reduce oxygen intake. The use of live vaccines may also affect the lung's ability to absorb oxygen.

Temperature - Low temperatures or large diurnal temperature fluctuations will increase oxygen demand, thus leading to ascites.

Growth rate and Nutrition - High growth rates demand high levels of oxygen and, therefore, higher oxygen requirements. Broilers fed on pellet feed frequently show higher incidences of ascites compared to birds consuming mash. High vitamin E feeds increase the oxygen demand.

2. Heat Stress

In certain geographical locations or in summer in temperate regions, heat stress and its effects on growth rate and mortality may be a problem. The normal broiler temperature is 41 degrees Celsius. When the environment temperature exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, the stress increases.

Management Techniques to Reduce Heat Stress

(i) Temperature and ventilation

To maintain a comfortable temperature inside the house, it is important to orient it in such a way that direct sunlight is avoided. This can be achieved by facing the house east or west.

To further reduce heat, shade walls with roof overhangs and insulate the roof and walls. To reflect heat, paint surfaces white.

Regularly disturbing birds from their sitting positions will also help dissipate heat within the building.

(ii) Separate sex growing flock

To achieve better uniformity in the flock, it is important to separate the male and female birds.

(iii) Reduce stocking densities

To reduce the amount of heat generated in the building, it is important to reduce the stocking densities.

(iv) Nutritional feed in cooler hours

It is best to provide nutritional feed to the birds during cooler hours as metabolic heat production increases with body weight. Despite the past claims that eggs contain high cholesterol and are associated with heart disease, there is no statistical relationship between egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.

In fact, eggs contain important nutrients such as chlorine, lutein, folic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids.

(v) Mycotoxins - A Global Threat to Poultry

Mycotoxins are a global threat to poultry and the frequency of mycotoxin contamination of poultry feeds is on the rise. Fungi can infest crops before harvest and continue to flourish under suboptimal storage conditions, especially if there is excess rainfall during harvest. Grains with high moisture content are particularly susceptible to mold proliferation and are unstable.

3. Breast Blisters and Hock Burns

These form on the breast muscle and the hocks when the litter is wet. They lower the quality of meat, especially in broilers.

Nutritional Deficiencies in Poultry

Birds can suffer from a lack of nutrients in their diet, including vitamins and minerals. This is referred to as a nutritional deficiency. The deficiency can be simple or multiple, meaning the feed consumed does not contain enough of one or more essential nutrients.

The degree of deficiency can range from borderline, where there is a decrease in growth, egg production, or hatchability, where there are overt symptoms of disease, to absolute, where there is a complete cessation of production or growth leading to death.

When there are multiple deficiencies, the symptoms may be the same, such as retarded growth, poor feathering, and weakness. Diagnosis requires complete information about the bird's diet, management, clinical signs, and postmortem findings. Chronic deficiencies are usually costly.

The composition of ingredients in a bird's diet can vary, and some nutrients may be unstable or unavailable. Even a diet that appears to contain enough nutrients may still be deficient in those nutrients to some degree. Stress, such as infections, temperature changes, low humidity, or drugs, can interfere with nutrient absorption or increase the amount needed.

Additionally, toxins or microorganisms may destroy or make unavailable a particular nutrient, even if it is present in the diet at adequate levels.

Protein and Amino Acid Deficiencies

The optimal level of balanced protein intake for the various birds is given below:

If the protein content in the diet is insufficient (i.e. below the recommended levels), birds tend to grow at a slower pace. Even with the recommended protein intake, it is crucial to ensure that there is sufficient quantity and proper balance of all essential amino acids.

A deficiency in essential amino acids can result in stunted growth, smaller egg size, or low egg production.

Some examples of essential amino acids include arginine, glycine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, cystine, tryptophan, threonine, and valine.

Mineral Deficiencies in Poultry

1. Calcium and Phosphorus imbalances.

Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorus (P) are often considered together because they play a crucial role in bone formation in conjunction with Vitamin D. A deficiency in any of these three nutrients can result in similar health issues. Vitamin D is essential for the proper absorption of calcium.

A lack of calcium or phosphorus can result in insufficient calcification of the skeleton, causing conditions such as Rickets in growing animals and Osteoporosis in adult animals. In these cases, calcium is taken from the bones.

Rickets is a widespread skeletal problem in chicks.

If the dietary intake of calcium is too high, it can bind with phosphorus, making it unavailable to the birds.

The clinical signs of calcium and phosphorus imbalances include rubbery beaks and leg bones, enlarged joints, a stiff gait, retarded growth, bending of bones, and ruffled feathers. In severe cases of calcium deficiency, some birds may even become paralyzed.

Clinical signs in laying birds:

Laying birds may exhibit several clinical signs, such as the presence of thin-shelled eggs. The hatchability of these eggs is also low. Furthermore, egg production may cease completely.

In addition, the content of bone ash is low, leading to the common bending of bones. If calcium is not supplied within 1-3 days, death may occur.

Treatment and prevention of Calcium and Phosphorus deficiencies

1. Provide adequate quantities of Calcium and Phosphorus.
2. Egg strength can be improved by adding dietary Calcium supplements in the form of oyster shells.
3. Feeding too much calcium reduces feed consumption and egg production.

2. Salt deficiency

The salt requirement for chickens and other poultry is low. Sodium is required in higher quantities than chlorine, and diets with less than 0.13% sodium will slow growth in young chicks.

Eggs laid by chickens and their hatchability will also be negatively impacted if sodium levels are below 0.1%.

A lack of appetite, weight loss, and eventually cannibalism are signs of sodium deficiency. The amount of sodium required may be influenced by the level of potassium in the diet.

Most poultry diets require the addition of 0.25-0.35% of salt to prevent deficiencies.

However, too much salt can also be a problem. Most feedstuffs contain some salt, and if there is an excess, it can cause loose and watery droppings. Although chickens can be raised on diets with up to 3% salt if they have access to clean drinking water, growth will still be slowed and feed efficiency will decrease.

3. Selenium deficiency

There are interrelationships between selenium, vitamin E, and amino acids such as cystine and methionine. A lack of either selenium or vitamin E can lead to a condition called White Muscle Disease (WMD) in young animals, which is a type of muscular dystrophy.

The disease can be treated by supplementing the animal's diet with either selenium or vitamin E. In chickens, this condition is referred to as exudative diathesis, and it results in severe edema on the breast, wing, and neck.

This can eventually lead to massive subcutaneous hemorrhage, giving the skin a blue-green appearance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the health and well-being of poultry are of utmost importance in ensuring optimal production and minimizing losses. Conditions such as ascites, heat stress, breast blisters, hock burns, and nutritional deficiencies can significantly impact the growth, productivity, and overall quality of poultry.

Ascites, characterized by fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, can be caused by various factors, including reduced oxygen tension, high altitudes, inadequate ventilation, respiratory infections, temperature fluctuations, and nutrition. Implementing proper management practices and providing appropriate nutrition can help mitigate the occurrence of ascites and its detrimental effects on broilers.

Heat stress is a common challenge, especially in hot climates, and it can lead to reduced growth rates and increased mortality in poultry. Effective management techniques such as proper temperature and ventilation control, separating sex-growing flocks, reducing stocking densities, and providing nutritional feed during cooler hours can help alleviate the negative impacts of heat stress on broilers.

Breast blisters and hock burns are issues that arise due to wet litter conditions. These conditions not only lower the quality of meat but also affect the well-being of the birds. Maintaining dry and clean litter is essential in preventing these problems and promoting healthy poultry production.

Nutritional deficiencies, including protein and amino acid deficiencies, as well as mineral deficiencies such as calcium, phosphorus, salt, and selenium imbalances, can have significant impacts on poultry health and performance. Ensuring a balanced diet with adequate levels of essential nutrients is crucial in preventing these deficiencies and their associated health issues.