active particularly at the start of the wet season. It can wipe out entire village flocks although a few individual birds often do survive. There are now ND vaccines that will withstand the heat for a short period (thermostable) of time. Vaccination is most effective by eye drop and birds should be vaccinated a month before expected outbreaks by a trained person. There is also a need to treat the birds at intervals through out their life. This is a specialised area and the poultry keeper will need help from experts but it is well worth the effort and the vaccine is not expensive. 26 7.2 Avian influenza The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird ’flu) is particularly dangerous not only because it can infect different poultry species and wild birds but it can also kill humans. Village poultry are especially at risk because they are outside and may be in contact with wild birds and other poultry species (ducks, geese). The disease spreads rapidly through the poultry flock. The virus can be spread by eating infected birds and can kill the consumer particularly if she/he is young. Household poultry keepers should keep themselves informed about the situation in relation to bird ‘flu as it often appears at particular times in the year. EXERCISE try production: broiler (meat) production first and then egg production. [END OF UNIT III] 27 UNIT IV 8. COMMERCIAL BROILER MEAT PRODUCTION Chicken meat is very popular throughout the world. It is seen as a healthy meat low in fat and rich in protein (lean meat). It is a meal for a family so you don’t need a refrigerator To prepare for the chicks’ arrival it is best that you have a time plan or schedule the house will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected shavings or litter on the floor the brooder surrounds in place the brooder heater checked and adjusted (if there is one) feeders and drinkers in place. Chicks usually look for water first. a supply of a small amount of starter feed is scattered on paper on the floor of the brooder so that the chicks can start to eat 28 For the first 7-10 days the chicks will be brooded (see section 5.) Broiler chickens can grow very fast but only when well looked after and given good feed After 3 weeks of age when the house temperature is less than 28–30 oC they grow best. In the tropics, the temperature is normally above 30 oC in the day time so they will grow a bit slower than usual Some chickens will die in the first week particularly those that are small and weak. You must remove and bury them immediately You can expect to lose at least 4 - 5 chicks out of 100 in the first 3 weeks. Another 2 may die later. Mortality can be much higher especially if management and housing conditions are poor. Some broilers, as they get older, may become lame and are unable to walk and get to the feeders. This is partly a breeding problem but may be reduced by slowing growth in the second week for about a week by limiting feed intake. 29 Ideally, chicks should be given a bought formulated diet. A commercial starter diet should be purchased and fed for at least the first 10 days because they need to get off to a good start They will have eaten only about 250 g of feed during this time. This will cost you less than 25 ¢/bird A grower diet will then be introduced by mixing what remains of the starter diet with the same amount of the grower diet. This will mean that they can adjust easily to the new feed When the mixture is finished, chicks will be on the grower feed only Check chicks several times a day to see that they are comfortable and have feed and water Check your chickens frequently. They do not like it too warm. It will be helpful if you have weighing scales so that you can weigh feed given to the chickens and get the live weight of a sample of 10 birds every 2 weeks caught with a simple leg catcher.
