How to Sanitize Poultry
June 11, 2007 on 1:21 pm | In Bird Care, Birds, Poultry | Comments OffPoultry microorganisms cause diseases for poultry and they are found just about everywhere. While some poultry microorganisms are relatively harmless, other poultry microorganisms are dangerous as they are highly pathogenic.
However, poultry microorganisms are choosy in their targets. While some poultry microorganisms are highly lethal to one type of fowl, the same poultry microorganisms may be harmless to another. Whether harmless or lethal, the best way to fight fowl diseases is to treat every microorganism as harmful to the health of the fowl.
There are some specific terms that need to be learned regarding the process of eliminating the threat of poultry microorganisms. Sterilization is the destruction of fungi, bacteria, virus and all other poultry microorganisms, including all its reproductive and infective forms. Disinfection is the destruction of all the vegetative forms of the poultry microorganisms, though not destroying the spores. Sanitation is the reduction of the pathogenic poultry microorganisms such that their level of presence is not enough to be a threat to the fowls.
Most poultry farmers often have the mistaken notion that, because they are using disinfectants, they have already minimized the threat of poultry microorganisms. Unfortunately, the effect of disinfectants often varies depending on a number of factors. These factors are the type of surface upon which the disinfectant is to be used, the current cleanliness of the surface, the type of poultry microorganisms that are to be treated, the durability of the material of the surface to be disinfected, the time duration of the disinfectant treatment and the residual activities required.
Although there are many available disinfectant products in the market, disinfectant products most suited for controlling poultry organisms are those made from quaternary ammonium compounds, phenolics and aldehydes which are best for poultry house and halogens which are highly effective for use in watering systems and non-metallic equipment.
Additionally, it is important to remember that there are other significant considerations in applying disinfectants to control poultry microorganisms.
Disinfectant usually requires a certain amount of time to bond with the poultry microorganisms and destroy it. Therefore, in order to remove most, if not all traces of poultry microorganisms, it is important to allow for sufficient time to pass.
Some disinfectants are best for certain types of poultry microorganisms. Therefore, it is important to consider the type of disinfectant to use and inspect if it is suitable to the poultry microorganisms that are infecting the farm.
Disinfecting against poultry microorganisms is best done by separating the cleaning operation and the disinfecting operation. Usually, it is best to first do a thorough cleaning of the area infected by poultry microorganisms, then do a through wash with water after which you may then apply the disinfectants.
Applying the disinfectant in a warm solution is often more effective in destroying the poultry microorganisms present in the area. However, hot solutions may reduce the effects of the disinfectant.
To prevent the respreading of the poultry microorganisms, it is best that the area be allowed to dry before it is used again. The presence of water greatly increases the possibility of recontamination and spread of poultry diseases.
The selection of a proper disinfectant should also carry the consideration of the possible destructive effects of the disinfectant. One basic consideration is the possibility that they may damage the eggs. As disinfectants are primarily used to destroy biological poultry organisms, they pose a real threat to the other biological parts of a poultry farm.
Disinfectants may also have corrosive effects which usually damage metallic equipment, cause clogs in spray nozzles, and affect sensitive electronic and electrical equipment.
Once a proper disinfected environment as been established, it is necessary to remember that a sanitary, poultry microorganisms free environment can still be easily compromised. One of the greatest threats to the spread of poultry microorganisms are the people who work in the poultry farm. Therefore it is necessary to establish a disinfection and sanitation plan for the human personnel of the poultry farm as well.
A good disinfection plan needs to be well informed as poultry microorganisms are highly dependent on many factors, most important of which is the possible host. In these regard it is best to be informed about the animals you are using in your farm. One good resource is http://www.allyearroundbirds.com. They have many resources available as well as being suppliers of fowls and others.
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Chicken Feeds
May 29, 2007 on 6:04 pm | In | No CommentsThe bulk of the cost and the effort in poultry farming are usually involved with deciding, purchasing and distributing your chicken feed. It is therefore right that you acquaint yourself to the ingredients, properties and benefits of different types of feeds.
A good start would be finding out what essential nutrients the chicken needs from their chicken feed. One essential ingredient in chicken feed is protein. This is more of a necessity for chicks as protein supports growth and chicks are still growing. However, there is also danger of your chick is consuming too much protein.
Minerals are also necessary for chickens. Some necessary minerals for chickens are phosphorus, calcium and salt or sodium chloride which must all be found in the proper ration in the chicken feed. Calcium is an especially necessary mineral for layer hens which, when deficient in the chicken feed, results in a weak or absent egg shell.
Carbohydrates and fats provide energy for your chickens as well as allowing them to get warmer during cold weather when they need to keep warm. Thus, it is necessary to up the carbohydrate and fat content of your chicken feed during cold months. You may also notice your chicken eating less during hot weather because of their lesser need of
fats and carbohydrates in their chicken feed during times like these. Vitamins are also necessary for chickens in order to protect them from a number of diseases.
It is also necessary to check the qualities of your chicken feed. The chicken feed you supply your flock should have the proper nutrients not only to keep them healthy but also to attain the desired result. High protein chicken feed is necessary for meat chicken and should not be fed to chickens who are layers as this will result in a slow down of egg production.
Your chicken feed must also be appealing to your chicken. In order to do this, you must make sure your chicken feed is fresh and dry, not moldy or musty. However, there are some chicken feeds that are intended to be watered to make a mushy, oatmeal-like texture.
A chicken’s body is 50 percent water in composition. Therefore, it is necessary to supply your chickens with enough water. Not enough water can cause dehydration and a high rate of stress which results in a decline of egg production. It is important to take note of the weather as water intake is affected by changes in atmosphere temperature.
It is also necessary to augment your chicken feed with some grit. Grit are small stones and pebbles which the chickens will store in their gizzard and use for breaking down their food. Calcium is also a necessary nutrient, especially for layers as they help in egg production. Mixing the grit with oyster shells after your chicken has laid its first egg. The oyster shell will provide them with additional calcium in their diet.
In giving your chicken their chicken feed, there are many tried and tested methods but they do not always work for your chicken. When buying chicken feed, there is usually a feeding guideline included in the label of the chicken feed bag. Two of the things you need to look for in feeding your chicken is when to feed them and how much to feed them.
One method of feeding chickens is leaving out as much chicken feed as will fit the feeder. This has the advantage of your chicken being able to eat whenever they want and saving time over feeding the chickens at regular intervals. However, this has the disadvantage of exposing the feed to bacteria and spoiling the chicken feed. Your chickens may also overeat and get fat.
An alternative to this is feeding the chickens measured amounts of chicken feed at regular intervals. This is a time consuming exercise but it removes the danger of bacteria getting into the chicken feed or the chicken feed getting spoiled.
The right chicken feed assures the success of your poultry farming efforts. However, choosing the right chicken feed can be hard. It is better to get as much information as you can about chicken feeding before you get into it. A good source found in the Internet is www.allyearroundbirds.com which offers information as well as supplies your poultry farming needs.
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Poultry Farming for Beginners
May 14, 2007 on 1:02 pm | In | No CommentsMany people go into poultry farming for a different number of reasons. Some do poultry farming for fun, others for the chicken meat, while others poultry farm for egg production while others go into poultry farming in order to generate manure for fertilizer and for weed and pest control.
Your basic goal for poultry farming greatly influences the poultry bird you must purchase. Since chicken are the most common poultry bird to use for poultry farming and, therefore, the easiest, it is best to start with them. Chickens are great for poultry farming, especially because they are good egg layers as well as being excellent sources of meat.
However, there are different types of chicken you can use for poultry farming; some are good for egg production while others are good for meat production. Thus it is imperative to first establish the goals of your poultry farming venture so that you can get the proper chicken breed for that particular goal. For example, if you want to go into poultry farming for egg production, the best breed for you would be the White Leghorn which is a commercial strain of chicken especially meant for egg-laying. A dual purpose breed such as the Rhode Island Red will also do.
On the other hand, if you are going into poultry farming for the chicken meat, you need a good breed which is able to efficiently convert the feed it consumes into an increase in its body weight, such as the Cornish Cross breed. If you want to go into poultry farming for the fun of it, well, the possibilities are endless.
At the start of poultry farming, you must first consider how you want to start your flock. Most people prefer to purchase chicks from commercial hatcheries or other providers. Nowadays, the Internet is a surprisingly good source of information for poultry farming. One website, www.allyearroundbirds.com, not only has information regarding poultry farming but they are also distributors for poultries themselves.
Others prefer to hatch their own eggs, although this may be a more complicated matter. Hatching your own eggs for your poultry farming endeavor can also be a fun and educational experience, especially for children.
Once you get your chicks home, you will need a brooder to keep them safe and warm. A brooder is an enclosed area where you can put your chicks in so that they are protected from the elements as well as from predators. It is important to keep your breeder free from drafts as these can be lethal to little chicks. Chicks also need a constant temperature of around 95 degrees during the first 7 days. This temperature will slowly be lowered until they have completely feathered out.
Like any animal, it is essential to make sure that your chicks will have access to food and fresh and clean water. Chicks are usually fed chick starter feeds which have high amounts of protein so that their growth and development are not stunted. You may also give your chicks some chick vitamins which are usually added to their water. Vitamins are a constant in poultry farming if you want your flock to stay healthy and disease resistant.
Once your flock get bigger, you will need to get them out of the brooder and into a coop. In poultry farming, a coop is a house for your flock which will keep them protected from the weather and predators, provide them with a roost, allow them enough space to move around and give them some room to nest in case you are poultry farming layers.
When poultry farming layers, it is not necessary to get a rooster as hens are completely capable of producing eggs, albeit sterile eggs, without the benefit of a rooster. In poultry farming layer hen, it is often better not to have roosters as they can complicate your poultry farming efforts significantly.
For your poultry farming endeavor, an important factor to consider is what you are going to feed your chicken.
Chicken feeds come in different forms such as pellets, crumbles and mash. Pellets are the easiest for chickens as they can see them easily and so, not much of the feed is wasted. Chickens will also need chicken grits. Since chickens do not have teeth, they often store grit, which are small pebbles and stones, in their gizzards which they use for digesting their food.
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