Basic information
One of the most important thing to carry out in a poultry is to maintain a good environment and keep the chickens healthy. The house should be kept clean for the arrival of the new chicks rather than placing them in where the old flocks from where moved out from, this means that everything from the drinkers and feed bowls to the walls and floors have to be cleaned properly and sanitised. A combination of Virokill (a formalin-based product) and chlorine should be use to ensure thorough cleaning. Virokill is made for use in chicken houses, so it is safe. Formalin is very strong, and you need to wear protective clothing while applying it. The chlorine kills bacteria and also eliminates bad smells. The combination works very well
Before a new cycle of chickens is placed in the houses, the entire area, including the canvas sides, is cleaned thoroughly. Old litter and wood shavings are removed, it is crucial to remove every trace of manure from used litter gotten from the former chicken houses as well as the farm there is a risk that any diseases they carry could be transferred to the flock, the strong ammonia smell of the manure in the litter can also cause respiratory problems in the chickens, leading to colds. Chickens that live in a clean and healthy environment simply grow better and do not contact disease easily
The chicken feed attracts rats and wild birds, so it should be properly sealed or in an area where they cannot access the feed. It is best to have a rat-control system, cleaning and disinfecting of the vehicles and cages with the same products used on the poultry houses, provide a stress relieving formula in their drinking water when the chicks arrive in the poultry house and provide an adequate spacing in maintaining flock health
As the chicks grow gradually raise the drinkers and feeders off the ground to a height that can be accessed by the smallest chicken in the flock. This prevents the birds from stepping into the containers and soiling the feed and water, which would also contribute to disease that would infect the entire flock
Principles
1. Keep the chicken coop is clean
Provide roosts, so chickens are not sleeping on their droppings
Frequently remove droppings
Clean the Pen and Wash or Disinfect regularly. If you have a choice, select a coop of an easily cleaned material like metal or plastic. Wood quickly absorbs urine and faeces bacteria, so Metal or Plastic is better
Replace Nesting material fortnightly, or whenever it is soiled
Treat the pen and nesting area for mites and other parasites
Locate the pen in a sunny, well-drained position. Rotate pasture wherever possible
Never leave uneaten feed on the ground. Not only does it rot, potentially causing illness, but it is also the primary attractant for disease-carrying vermin
2. Reduce environmental stress
Never overcrowd your pen
Protect Chickens from extreme weather
Ensure that birds have a warm place to roost. It should be protected from wind and rain, and provide somewhere cool to rest in hot weather
Take particular care of your chickens when they are suffering from stresses such as moulting, breeding, transport and changes in diet
Use supplements to counteract the effect of stress
3. Implement a health management program for the chickens
A health management program may sound complicated, but preventing illness in the first place is far more effective, and more straightforward, than treating it after the fact
Inoculate chicks against coccidiosis
Many chicks bought commercially will be vaccinated for this common disease, ask your supplier, otherwise, medicated feed is widely available, ensure that you don’t give the feed to laying hens
Deworm your chickens twice yearly, preferably in spring and autumn
Treat chickens for mites and lice at least twice a year, in addition to treating the pen with an insecticide
4. Avoid introducing disease and into your chicken coop
Rodents carry parasites and disease, which are spread primarily through faeces. Always ensure that food sources are out of reach of rats and mice. Dispose of any feed contaminated by droppings. Spilled feed is what typically attracts rats and mice to the chicken coop, and once they are there, they are challenging to remove
Wild birds are generally infected with worms and also carry many diseases that can be passed on to domestic fowl. Where possible, limit the access of wild birds to your chicken coop. It is particularly important to ensure that these unwanted visitors cannot access the feeder and the water trough
While Chickens naturally eat insects, slugs, snails, earthworms and other insects are frequently carriers for worm eggs. When they hatch, they infect your chickens. Never feed your chickens these pests and limit access if possible
New birds commonly introduced disease to the chicken coop. Even birds from a certified breeder may carry a bacteria or harbour disease which may decimate your flock
Also, ensure the chicken run is nice and dry without constant muddy puddles. Muddy puddles are a perfect place for bacteria and disease to spread to the flock
It is good practice isolation to new birds for a period of up to two weeks, watching them carefully for signs of illness, before introducing them to your flock
5. Keep Sick chickens away from the Chicken Flock
Illness spreads rapidly amongst chickens. It is essential to monitor the chickens carefully and remove any chicken showing signs of disease as quickly as possible
This helps to prevent the infection of others
Removing of sick chickens also gives them a better chance of recovery, and stops other birds from picking on them
Once the bird has been isolated, ensure it is well-hydrated and warm. If you are treating a bird for a contagious illness, it is usually advisable to treat the whole flock. Ultimately, even if only one bird is showing signs of illness, chances are that the entire flock has been infected and it is only a matter of time until they too fall ill. This is particularly the case with internal parasites such as worms
6. Keep a cosy coop
Provide a well ventilated but draft-free building with enough space for the number of chickens in your flock because a proper ventilation reduces ammonia build-up, making sure the coop is large enough to help prevent stress and fighting between birds
7. Disposal of dead birds
Properly dispose of all dead birds and old litter because dead birds and old litter attract flies, which can carry diseases from infected to healthy birds. Preventing flies and odours reduces the likelihood of this type of disease transmission
8. Ask a vet
When there is a disease outbreak in among the flock, get an accurate diagnosis from a professional as soon as possible. Since some diseases show similar symptoms, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis before administering treatment. It is also important to know what you are dealing with so it can be controlled before it spreads to other nearby flocks
9. Practice proper procedures
Ensure to change into clean clothing and wash hands with anti-bacterial soap when working with one species of bird and then another, or different aged birds. If this is not possible, work with younger birds first before handling older ones, and work with health birds prior to handling sick one because young birds may not have developed resistance to disease like older birds, so it is important to work with them before the rest of the flock. Likewise when you walk around sick birds and then walk into a coop full of healthy birds, you may spread the disease on your clothes and hands
Series of products to serve the poultry farm fully, click the name to learn more
1. Steel structure poultry house, opening type for hot countries and close type for cool countries
2. Poultry hatching equipment’s capacity of eggs up to 120,000+ to be hatching house
4. Chicken feed processing equipment from feed crushing and mixing to stock to feeding chicken
6. Egg processing equipment from automatic egg collection to packing egg to trays
7. Chicken slaughtering equipment from slaughter to vacuum package
9. Other poultry farm equipment are coming soon...
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1. We provide you with professional guidance and design on all poultry equipment
2. We have long time and rich experience on the products manufacturing. If any machine operation questions after sales, we will reply you within 24 hours with solution. And customers can be rest assured
3. We offer excellent services in all our equipment
4. We give customers detailed information on the product they want to buy
5. We give guideline to our first time customer’s on how to go about their poultry farm
6. After purchasing our poultry equipment, we do follow up on our customers about the equipment they purchased
Frequently ask questions
Q: What can I do to ensure a healthy living for my chickens?
A: Ensure that the chicken does not have a direct contact with their manures which has a nitrogenous substance that can be harmful to their health, then secondly pay attention to their health by checking their eat ability and mode of movement in other to when they start falling sick
Q: What are the necessary measures to take when handling a young chick?
A: In other to maintain a good environment and keep the chickens healthy the chicken house should be kept clean for the arrival of the new chicks rather than placing them in where the old flocks where moved out from
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