Nutramix Brochure BROILER Manual
Nutramix Brochure BROILER Manual
Management
Guide
www.the-BIG-feed.com
@FarmNutramix
SALES MANAGER
Winston Thomas
876-382-8886
[email protected]
Record Keeping 5
Litter Quality 9
Controlling Vermin 12
Brooding Period 14
Lighting Programme 20
Feed Management 21
Water Management 24
2
Medication 27
Disposal of Dead 34
Birds
Disease Investigation 34
in Broiler Production
3
BROILER MANAGEMENT
GUIDE
4
RECORD KEEPING
Example:
SIMPLE BROILER RECORD
SHEET
5
HOUSE DESIGN AND
REQUIREMENTS
6
During the hot summer months, farmers
can increase the space per bird to 1.5 sq.
ft. to decrease mortality from heat stress.
To calculate the amount of birds suitable for
a house, multiply the length of the chicken
house by its width as in the example (100
ft. X 20 ft. = 2000 sq. ft.). This means that
a maximum of 2000 birds can fit in this
house. Options for flooring include a con-
crete floor and compacted marl or dirt. Only
concrete floors can be properly cleaned
and disinfected. The surrounding base
should be approximately 12´´ high (one
concrete block high) and wire mesh (4 X
1´´) should be installed from the base to the
roof. The roof must be at least eight feet (8
ft.) high on the sides to allow for a cooling
effect. There are several roof designs that
can be implemented. Newport Mills Limited
recommends an A-shaped roof with centre
ventilation or a sloping roof as these de-
signs will allow the escape of hot air from
the house. The roof can be painted white
externally or insulated on the inside to fur-
ther reduce heat exposure.
7
LITTER
MATERIALS AND
MANAGEMENT
8
Day old chicks are not able to control their
body temperature before 2 weeks of age
and are sensitive to chilling. For young
chicks, maintaining a good temperature in
the air is not enough; the floor needs to be
warm also as the birds are in constant con-
tact with the floor and lose heat through this
surface. A thick layer of dry litter (at least
2-3”- inches deep) makes a good insulating
covering.
LITTER QUALITY
9
Causes of Wet Litter
• Drinking water systems that are poorly
maintained and leaking.
• Poor choice of litter material and/or inad-
equate amounts of litter.
• Inadequate ventilation or heating – cold
air settling too quickly or damp air not re-
moved fast enough.
• Differences in light intensity – areas with
high light intensity, birds are more active
in these areas causing litter to be more
compacted.
• Too much mineral or salt in feed or wa-
ter cause birds to drink more, which will
eventually makes litter wetter.
• Health problems can lead to loose drop-
pings and wet litter.
10
HOUSE
PREPARATION
BEFORE
PLACEMENT
Before placing a new flock of birds,
the house must be cleaned and then
disinfected. This is also a good time to carry
out any repairs and maintenance. Cleaning
begins with the removal of all organic
matter from the previous flock (manure,
dust and all equipment). Certain pathogens
such as coccidia eggs can survive for long
periods in the house even without the birds
and so proper cleaning and disinfection
is necessary to minimise or eliminate this
problem. Cleaning should be done as soon
as possible after the old flock is removed.
The dry cleaning should include the walls,
rafters, ceiling, feed bins and all other feed
equipment, fans vents and watering system.
After dry cleaning, all surfaces should be
cleaned with soap and water followed by
a disinfection agent approved for use in
poultry houses. Chloride compounds such
as bleach are very good at killing bacteria,
viruses, mould, fungal spores and coccidia.
A mixture of 1 teaspoon of 6% bleach
can be used in 1 gallon of water to clean
surfaces and left to dry.
Clean curtains / tarpaulins used on the
house and properly disinfected them.
Footbaths should be cleaned and replenish
with fresh disinfectant daily. We recommend
a down time of at least 2 weeks between
flocks. This allows for pathogens to die off
naturally.
11
Don’t forget to clean the environment
around the house and remove any garbage
or waste manure. Cut down plants and
grass. Dangerous pathogens can often be
found in manure and dust in these areas.
CONTROLLING
VERMIN
12
Control – long acting insecticides at point
of contact or an insect killer lamps / fly
traps.
13
Nutramix baby chicks have been vaccinated
for Newcastle Disease, Bronchitis and IBD
(Gumboro) disease, just like the chicks for
the large commercial farms. This vaccination
is most effective if you only have a single age
birds on the farm. All-in / all-out farming to-
gether with proper cleaning and sanitation
reduces disease problems on your farm.
BROODING PERIOD
14
• Feed and water access – immediate
access to clean potable water to ensure
that birds are fully hydrated. Never allow
birds to run out of feed and/ or water.
• In the first four to five days, addition of
a vitamin / electrolyte mix to the drinking
water may be beneficial.
• Chicks fed with NUTRAMIX broiler ra-
tions do not require any additional medi-
cation during this period.
• Temperature management – warm litter
and warm ambient temperature at place-
ment are necessary for good activity.
Additional heating must be put in place
during the colder months of the year (De-
cember - March) to keep baby chicks
warm.
• Heating bulbs or gas brooders, especial-
ly at nights, are important to keep the en-
tire brooding area warm and to eliminate
fluctuating temperatures that will result in
poor uniformity in the growing period.
• Bird activity – young birds should be seen
moving around in the house. Birds that
are huddling and moving to the corners
are cold and can result in mortality.
• Fresh air – birds require high level of ox-
ygen.
• High light intensity – well distributed light
across the brooding area will ensure
good activity.
15
Diagram: Showing how to
recognise proper brooding
versus poor brooding of baby chicks
17
• Chick paper – For the first day, New-
port Mills Limited recommends to cover
the litter near to the feeders and drink-
ers with paper. Spread some feed over
paper allowing easy access for day-old
birds. Immediate intake of feed and water
stimulates the development of the chicks’
gastrointestinal system and promotes
the re-absorption of the yolk sac.
• Where possible, brooding guard or brood-
ing ring should be created under the heat
source to eliminate corners where birds
can huddle on top of each other. The ring
should be expanded as the birds grow
and should be removed completely after
about 7-10 days.
• Observe the birds in the brooding area
for comfort level at least 4-5 times daily. If
birds are cold, they will huddle under the
heaters or in corners. If they are too hot,
they will move away from the heat source
and pant heavily. Check the thermometer
temperature and adjust the height of the
heating bulbs as needed. Lower the bulbs
if birds are cold or raise them if birds are
too hot. When the birds are comfortable,
they will be equally dispersed throughout
the brooding area and will be very active
and alert.
• Check that the day-old birds are eating
properly. The crop of the bird can be felt
to tell you how effectively the birds are
feeding. Check at least 10 birds in dif-
ferent areas of the brooder area for crop
fill. Approximately 80% should have a
full crop after 8 hours and approximately
95% should have full crops after the first
24 hours on the farm.
18
Table: Target Temperatures for the
Chicken grow-out
Growing period
20
Benefits of Lighting
Programme
FEED
MANAGEMENT
21
Table: Recommended Feeding
Programme for Broiler Birds
WATER
MANAGEMENT
24
If you are using nipple drinkers, then the
pressure in the line should not be too high
or too low as this will result in lower water
intake for birds.
Water Consumption
25
Ensure that water is clean, tastes pleasant
and does not contain impurities. Young baby
chicks are particularly vulnerable to poor
water quality.
Older Birds
Any time that broiler birds are put through
a stressful period, the addition of electro-
lytes and vitamins may assist the birds in a
quicker recovery. These additives can also
cause lose droppings if not properly admin-
istered, so they are not always beneficial or
economical. Sick birds or those with a com-
promised immune system will consume less
feed and subsequently slow-down in growth
and development.
27
Household Products
The use of garlic and Aloe Vera has been
a common practice in broiler production
among small farmers. Both products are
known for its anti-bacterial, anti-viral, an-
ti-fungal, anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory
properties. Some studies have shown that
Aloe Vera can improve immune response
and growth performance in broilers. As
such, Newport Mills Ltd does not deter the
use of these products, but the incorrect
administration can do significant damage to
your flock. Adding these products to drink-
ing water can change the taste and may
result in lower water intake and poor perfor-
mance. None of these additives will be as
effective as practicing good management of
your flock.
28
• Giving antibiotics in water to baby
birds as a preventative measure will
have a negative effect on the good
bacteria that they need for good gut
health. It may also affect water intake.
• The use of “preventative” or perfor-
mance enhancing antibiotics will limit
your options of treatment when a dis-
ease is found.
• When antibiotics are fed to birds, not
all bacteria are killed. The strongest
survive and multiply and may develop
resistant strains that antibiotics can-
not kill.
• Often, antibiotics are used to compen-
sate for poor management practices.
Improving water quality, sanitation
and a stress-free environment can re-
place the need for antibiotics and the
farmer will save money.
• Keep antibiotics use to a minimum
and always consult your Newport Mills
Livestock Support team before carry-
ing out any treatment on your farm.
29
BIRD HEALTH
ISSUES AND
BIO-SECURITY
Bird health is of extreme importance in
broiler production. Poor chick health will have
a negative impact on all aspects of produc-
tion and flock management, which include
growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, con-
demnations, mortality, and processing traits.
The flock should start with good quality and
healthy day-old chicks.
The disease control programmes include:
30
Decreasing the Risk of
Disease Transmitted by
Humans
• Limit the number of visitors to the farm
and prevent all unauthorised access –
everyone entering your facility should
follow strict bio-security procedures
developed for your farm. This should
include wheel baths, foot baths, clean
clothing, plastic boots, hair nets etc.
Maintaining records of all visitors and
their previous farms visited is a good
practice.
• Applying disinfectant liquids for shoes
and vehicles entering the farm will
help minimise transmission of disease
pathogens.
• If personnel are not able to avoid vis-
iting more than one farm per day, it is
advisable to visit the youngest flock
first to avoid transmitting pathogens
from older birds into the young flock.
• Do not allow your staff to walk between
and into chicken houses without your
approved bio-security measures.
31
Decreasing the Risk of
DiseaseTransmitted by
Animals
• It is ideal to practice an all-in/all-out
placement cycle, which will minimise
disease transmission from older flocks
to younger one.
• The decision on the length of down-
time is one of major economic impor-
tance, but the longer the downtime
between flocks, the lower the risk of
disease transmission. A two week
downtime should be ideal for broiler
production.
• Leaving equipment, litter and build-
ing material lying around is a perfect
cover for rodents and other animals.
Minimise this and secure the facility to
be as animal proof as possible without
compromising ventilation to the flock.
• Keep wild birds out of the building
as these can carry disease that can
cause serious infections to broiler
flocks. Wire mesh siding is suggested
at all openings into the poultry house
to prevent entry of even small birds
and rodents.
• Rodents affect us in the following
manner:
32
• Transmission of numerous diseases
including Salmonella, Pasteurella etc.
Measures to be included in rodent
control are:
• Keep the area around the poul-
try houses clear of clutter and
the grass cut short.
• Repair and seal any holes or
openings that would permit pas-
sage by rodents.
• Install traps and keep poison
baits in designated places such
as around feed storage bins,
poultry houses, and sanitary ar-
eas. The baits and traps must
be monitored and maintained.
Do not allow any littering of feed
or food stuffs
• Darkling beetles and mites need to be
kept under control. These insects can
hide in small cracks and in insulation
materials.
• Do not allow any other livestock roam-
ing on or near your chicken farm. This
includes dogs, cats, cows, geese,
goats etc.
Decreasing Risk of
Contamination by Other
Means
• Trucks and equipment should be dis-
infected upon entering the farm, or
when moving from one coop to the
other.
• Stagnant water will harbour patho-
gens, flies, rodents.
• Make sure dead birds are immediate-
ly removed from the chicken growing
area.
33
• Make sure your storage of litter is also
not affected by animals or water.
• Trucks and equipment should be d
• Remove old litter from the farm.
infected upon entering the farm,
when moving from one coop to t
other.
DISPOSAL OF
• Stagnant water will harbour path
DEAD gens, BIRDS flies, rodents.
• Make sure dead birds are immedia
Dead birds need to be removed
ly removed from thefrom the grow
chicken
house as soon as possible. Dead birds are
area.
a bio-security risk and an environmental risk
for your operation and the entire poultry in-
dustry. Incineration or burial with lime are
the preferred method for small numbers of
birds. For larger numbers, proper disposal
methods will be recommended by the Public
Health Official in your parish.
DISEASE
INVESTIGATION IN
BROILER PRODUCTION
34
Some Common Disease
dis- Problems/Conditions
or Encountered in Jamaica
the
ho-
ate-
wing
35
The Observations Above
May Help in Diagnosing
Some of the following
Afflictions:
Coccidiosis
This is one of the more common diseases
in poultry. It is caused by a parasite that
can affect birds of all ages. The parasite is
passed in the faeces and needs moisture
and warmth to mature before it can infect
other birds. The parasite can multiply and
can remain viable for months in litter, dust,
and on surfaces. The parasites can also be
transmitted from other farms on shoes and
equipment, so strict bio-security measures
must be followed to prevent this problem.
Necrotic Enteritis
37
This disruption in the intestine can be
caused by coccidiosis, a sudden change in
feed or feed composition, any poorly di-
gestible feed source or simply a shortage of
feed or sudden change in house tempera-
tures.
Treatment
Ascites
38
the organs, thus making breathing difficult.
This disease was very prevalent in previous
years, but now relatively rare due to adjust-
ments in genetics and nutrition.
Signs
• Sudden deaths in rapidly growing birds
• Poor development
• Progressive weakness and abdominal dis-
tention
• Difficulty breathing and lying down mostly
• Birds might look blue in colour especially
when pick up by the feet
Heat Stress
39
Signs
• Panting heavily
• Increased thirst
• Reduced feed consumption
• Legs and wings are usually seen out-
stretched
Slaughtering and
Processing of Broiler
The goal here is to successfully process the
maximum number of high quality carcases
and this will be impacted by:
41
Scalding
Evisceration (Plucking
Chicken)
42
• Remove the shanks by cutting through
the hock joint
• Remove the oil gland by cutting deep to
the tail vertebra then follow the vertebra
to the end of the tail in a scooping motion
to remove the gland.
• Carefully cut from the point of the keel
bone (breast bone) to the vent and take
care not to cut the intestines. Complete
the cut around the vent then pull the vent
and intestines, heart and gizzard away
from the carcase to prevent contamina-
tion of the meat.
• Remove the lungs from the inside of the
ribs
• Check to ensure that all the desired or-
gans have been removed from the car-
case. Wash the inside of the bird with
clean water or a hose (running water
preferably) and wash the outside care-
fully and rub off any dirt, pinfeathers or
blood.
• Place the carcase in a chilled water con-
tainer with ice to cool it to the water tem-
perature (4°C or 39.2°F).
• After cooling, remove birds, drain, then
package and freeze promptly. Birds
should not be frozen until they have been
chilled to 4°C or below.
43