Tips for Winter Respiratory Disease Prevention in Poultry
Winter is coming and most broiler producers are aware that this can be a critical time for their flock. This article from The Poultry Site will come in handy if you are looking for ways to prevent flock respiratory disease come winter.
Tak Niino, VMD, who is a technical services veterinarian for Zoetis, says that the secret is maintaining good air quality by way of proper ventilation. A poorly ventilated house will have unhealthy ammonia levels and the litter moisture could reach such a point where it can be detrimental to bird health.
When ammonia levels are high, there is an increased risk of cilia damage. These brush-like structures are responsible for clearing tracheal debris. If it is damaged or destroyed, birds are quite likely to develop viral infections. Some of the most common ones are Newcastle disease, infectious laryngotracheitis, and infectious bronchitis. Chickens will display depression, lethargy, or snicking and coughing.
Litter moisture due to poor ventilation can lead to bacterial growth, as well. This may lead to secondary bacterial infections. Escherichia coli can lead to severe polyserositis, septicemia, and also death.
Niino points out that the trend these days is to consider house size. Ventilation techniques for small houses usually do not produce the same results when applied to larger houses. You can read more tips from Niino here.
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Trish Valenzuela • CPC/ PRC • Recruiter
Trish Valenzuela specializes in recruiting for poultry feed additive companies. She has filled positions in technical support, sales, and sales management across the USA.
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