Date Posted: 8/31/2012 5:14:15 AM
Posted By: Kitavi Membership Level: Gold Total Points: 1987
Are you planning to rear chickens? Here are some tips for you. Infectious diseases are the greatest risk to a poultry operation and attempts must be made to control and prevent them. In most instances, the cost of treating clinical outbreaks of disease is enormous. Sub-clinical, mild or chronic disease also leads to losses due to poor performance of the affected flocks. To detect disease in their early stages, it is important for the flock attendants to be aware of the daily status of the birds. They should judge this by the behavior of the birds, droppings, feed intake, mortality rates, etc. Any signs of ill health should be reported immediately to a veterinarian who can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Since most poultry diseases have similar manifestations diagnosis by the farmers is strongly discouraged. A vaccination program to meet both area and individual farm needs is essential for flock health management. Vaccination programs need to be reviewed periodically and any changes approved by an experienced veterinarian. It is important to follow the manufacturer's directions on storage and administration of vaccines. Generally vaccines must be stored between 2 degrees and 8 degrees, and they should not be exposed to direct sunlight. (Do not store in the freezer part of the fridge) When vaccinating through the drinking water, the water supply system should be completely free of chlorine, medication and chemical agents for 48 hrs prior to and 24 hrs after the vaccination. The vaccine should be mixed with water, which the birds will consume within 2 hours of being mixed. To ensure this the flock should be thirsted for 1 hour before being provided with the vaccination water. Vaccination should be done during the cooler past of the day, either early morning or late evening. Before vaccination always ensure that there are sufficient doses to cover the flock and that the birds are healthy. Also ensure that the vaccines have not expired. It is also important to purchase your chicks from a hatchery where the vaccination history of parents is available as this determines the level of protection the chicks have acquired from their parents and the vaccination program to follow. For example, due to the high maternal antibodies in the chicks, it is important that the first gumboro vaccination is not done before 10 days of age as the maternal antibodies would neutralize the vaccine, leaving the chicks unprotected. Such hatcheries would also ensure that the appropriate day-old vaccinations are done effectively.
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