Poultry
General chicken life
Live in woods and forests, dont like open spaces
Live in small groups,
Very strong heirarchy
Chickens don't like large groups
where will you see poultry?
small animal practice
as a pouiltry vet
can be very expensive
breeds
bred for cock fighting (now illegal)
common breeds
silkies
ancona
black orpington
yokohoma
bred to be prretty
modern production poultry
have changed in appearance over time
size has gottten bigger over time
amount of breast muscle has increased through breeding over time - bigger, faster growing bird
broiler meat = chicken equivalent of beef
meat producing chickens 'prime'
UK is a fairly major poultry producing nation
chicken consumption will rapidly increase in developing countries
broiling fowl = end of production birds - not in their prime
retail chicken meat
as you have a sistemthat is more accrdited or selective, you pay more
if you choose prime cuts, you pay more
chicken breast is the best cut
in developing economies, the amount of chicken or meat eaten will increase
pets
food safety is important, different standards in different countries
industry organisations
british poultry council
poultry managements
poultry club
warterfowl association
maximum output with minimal input
easy care and control of the birds
smart use of resources
suitable diet
clean enviroment
adequte facilities
suitable climatic control
protection against predation
managing borilers
lots of research done on growth and genetics
optimum temperatures for heat and meat production
21º is the optimum
not cold
not overheating
all energy goes into growing and producing meat
ho much energy in the feed
13.5Mj/Kg
energy dense cereal
apparently metabolisable energy
lighting regime
more light = more likely to eat
DEFRA regulations in the UK
keep them in 24 hour rhythms
at least 6 hours of darkness
at least 1 4 hour period of uninterrupted darkness
production
5-6 weeks to full production
high yield in not long
moved to a slaughterhouse
slaughtered before sexual maturinty
broiler production is mostly in closed barns
could be housed in up to 1000s
house conditions will be different in different layers, depending on temperature or calcium levels etc.
husbandry, biosecurity and hygiene will stay the same
sheds look more full as they grow older and get bigger
modern layer appearance
enriched cage
barn
free range
orgnanic
rising in popularity
we produce lots of eggs
import over billion
export over 100 million
most imported eggs go into the food industry
most supermarket eggs are UK produced
egg quality
yolk colour
haugh unit
shell thickness/colour
graded A/B/industrial
A = good
B = bad
I = non food
peak eggage in the 12 months post puberty
most eggs at 21º, biggest eggs at 15º
manage the market for egg desire
if its warm, the egg numbers drop and the size drops
useful in management
natural condition driving the production
not just a case of heating, might need cooling as well
21º is the most cost effective temperature
poultry are long day breeders, come into season as the days get longers
poultry take about 28 days to hatch
eggs are laid in clutches
under contorlled intensive conitions
free range
reared under short days until puberty
increasing photoperiod stimulates ovulation
maintaining long days maintain ovulation
avoid broody hens
POL - point of lay
greater influence of a natural photoperiod
ovulation at a lower rate
growth
muscles first
then skeleton
then reproductive tissues last
growth of bone and muscle must not be compromised
environemntal control
heat
water vapout/humidity
gases
poultry dust
ammonia
building desing
ventialtions
waste heat
gases
provision of fresh air
heat/insulation
keep heat in/out as needed
stop condensation
bacterial growth
heating is important for young stock
common problems
needs to be well managed circulation of ventilation and maintenance of heat
anticlockwise circulation of air is bad because it goes down first and chills the birds
cooling pads in hot countrues with fans that cool the air and then it gradually heats up and gets remved
management
housing
common problems
inadequte design
poor ventilation
unsuitable bedding
poorly maintained
combintions of housing and management
disease
poor attention to detail
inadequte training
insufficient staff
chickens are poikilothermic - dependent on the environemnt
brooding
look at their behaviour
congregation by huddling
draught avoidance
avoiding the heat source
can cause death by suffocation
going in random places but clumping is bad
optimum would a an even spread by and away from the heat
feed delivery
position of feeder is dependent n height/age of birds
wasting food is expensive
on e spilt it will ferment reducing litter quality
deteriorating litter can be a mjor problem
water delivery
perciion is vital
wet and capped litter
increased ammonia probems
ammonia production
legislation
ban of barren battery cages
codes are not law but can be used as evidence in court
codes of practice
no new barren battery cages were allowed from 2012
new minumum standards were set out
lots of enriched cages now
perching area
nersting
claw shorterners
ffeders
non cage systems
number of cracked eggs increases
grade A eggs cannot be washed
floor eggs increase
reduces egg quality
free range
compormised welfare
more floor eggs
nematode infections increased
jungle birds cannot hide in big open fields
canot use prophylactic antheminthics in organic productions
chickens are prey
chickens establish a pecking order
beaks can be trimmed on day old chicks to stop canabilism/feather/vent picking but presents welfare concerns
beaks can only be trimmed by an adult
can only done on chicken intended for layign
can only be done befroe they are tne days old
can clip their feathers sto stop ther flight(illegal)
biosecurity
boot covers
disposable boiler suits
tie up long hair
stooping the spread of disease
tires on cars
dirty af
public opinion
no-one wants to buy from a farm with sick animals
larger flocks
decimation of the population
econimics
compromises with birds
controlling the wild bird population
in zoos, all the exotic birds have cages that stop/limit normal contact with wild pigeons etc.
difficult to control airborne spread
should be no standing water anywhere near
birds should have no access to standing water in a poultry units
try not to excite the birds
free range are more at risk
one-way systems with most waste systems on the way out
outside more
disinfection points across the entire centre
don't share equipment between operations
try to surround the area with as much concrete as possible - good deterrent against the wildlife and easy to disinfect, hard for pathogens to survive on
normal behaiours
social
heirarchy
roost
onmivorous
foraging
preening
broodiness
dust bathing
abnormal behaviours
spread quickly
notifiable diseases
avian flu
newcastle disease
endemic diseases are already present in the uk
exotic diseases anre nto normally present in the UK
notifiable means you legally have to tell APHA even if you only suspenctthe animal in affected
disease types
viral
bacterial
parasitic
fungal
nutirtional
behavioural
metabolic
avian flu
H = haemagglutanin
N = Neuraminidase
spike proteins
can be targeted with vaccines but are easily mutated so controlling it is hard
type A influenza
can affect humans and other species
A&B are difficult types of flue - zoonotic
significant for public health
some epidemics have been devastating for other species
causes mass fear
zoonosis
HPAI/LPAI - highly pathogenic vs lo pathogenic
H - high mortality
L - midl respiratory disease
may exacerbate other conditions
spread through droplets or faeces
everything can be contaminated by fecal matter
tighten PPE and strict handwashing
newcastle disease
respiratory secretions spread it
faeces
equipment
markets
contamination can last for a long time without heated
vertical trasnission is possible
casues depression :(
egg drop
no human-human spread
notifiable to APHA
salmonella
red lion eggs can be eaten raw
check eggs that can taverse the egg shell
DONT EAT POOEY EGGS
campylobacter
doesnt cause disease in the animals
dont wash chicken
e coli :(
WASH YOUR HANDS
APEC is potentially zoonotic