Broiler Signals, A Practical Guide to Broiler Focused Management
By Maarten de Gussem
Broiler Signals, A Practical Guide to Broiler Focused Management PDF. Broilers are fast growing animals that need constant care. There is no time for correcting mistakes; mistakes mean high costs. The prevention of mistakes is therefore crucial. Proper management starts with recognising signals in practice. For broiler-keepers, this means being alert when in the poultry house, watching and listening to the animals, paying attention to their environment and their behaviour as individuals and as a group. This usually provides important information about their animals’ health, well-being and production. This information helps poultry-keepers to improve their economic results, the well-being of their animals and their own. The book Broilers follows the life cycle of these fast growing animals. Every stage is discussed separately and points out an important issue specific to that stage. The focus lays on animal-oriented procedures, thus the book is vital for poultry-keepers and anyone involved in poultry on a regular basis.
Table of Contents
Introduction 4 1. Seeing more by looking more closely 6
Picking up the signals 7
Using the signals 8
Senses 11
Anatomy 12
Feed structure: intake and digestion 14
Phase feeding 15
What the figures tell you 16
Frequency 17
Main parameters 18 2. The broiler’s environment 20
Outdoor climate determines type of housing 21
Indoor climate 22
Other husbandry systems 23
Ventilation and heating 24
Temperature + moisture = heat 26
Comfortable climate 27
Ventilation systems 28
Effective temperature (wind chill factor)
and air velocity 29
Assessing ventilation in the broiler house 30
Ventilation 31
Water consumption 32
Ensuring water quality 33
Vulnerable: young chicks 34
Water/feed ratio and gut health 35
Particles in drinking water (biofilm) 36
Floors and litter 38
Litter quality 39
Light 40
Biosecurity for profit 41 3. Preparing for the new cycle 42
Stocking density 43
Useful information from the slaughter report 44
Clean out time reduces infection pressure 45
Cleaning and disinfecting 45
Don’t only clean inside the house 46
Vermin 47
Chick paper 48
Cool, fresh water 48
Transport risks: hygiene and stress 49 4. Week 1: Getting off to a good start 50
Quality of day-old chicks 51
The first day 52
Empty the trays carefully 53
‘Cold-blooded’ chicks 54
A good spread 55
Eating well 56
Drinking well 57
To measure is to know! 58
Yolk inflammation or navel infection 59
Weak chicks 60
Identifying causes of death 61 5. Week 2: Further growth and development 62
Points to watch out for: behaviour 63
Points to watch out for: physical traits 64
No more than six hours of darkness 65
Light intensity 66
Vaccination 68
Vaccination methods 69
Good vaccination – a science in itself 70
Use therapeutic antibiotics in a
responsible way 71 6. Week 3:Gut health and development 72
In one end… 73
Signs from droppings 74
Orange matter 75
Feed ingredients 77
Feed additives/growth promoters 78
Wet manure 79
Coccidiosis 80
Anticoccidial rotation programme 81
Treating gut problems 82
Risks at feed transitions 83 7. Week 4: Focusing on breathing 84
Anatomy 85
Indoor climate 86
Above 30°C: danger zone 88
Breathing is silent – problems aren’t! 89 8. Week 5: Leg quality 90
Remove lame birds 91
Lameness and its causes 92
Enterococcal infection 93
Feet and hocks 94
Prevent footpad lesions 95
Skin scratches with leg problems 96
Litter quality 97
Litter as a source of heat 98
Wet manure due to excess urine 99 9. Final phase and slaughter 100
Increase in mortality rate 101
Withdrawal period causing more coccidiosis? 102
Other husbandry systems and breeds 104
Diseases in older broilers 105
Catching, loading and beyond 106
Preparing for loading 107
The art of catching 108
Arrival at the processing plant 109
Sold hot or cold? 110
White and dark meat 111 10. Parent birds 112
Slowing growth during rearing 113
Reaching sexual maturity simultaneously 114
Males 115
Transmitting disease from female to broiler 116
Chick immunity 117
Young breeder flock 118
Hatching eggs 119
Index 120
