Training initiative provides comprehensive help for egg producers
Keeping free-range hens healthy and productive cycle after cycle is tricky, even for the most experienced producers.
But for new entrants to the industry it can be a massive issue to tackle. Fortunately, a recent course run by the West Country Layers’ Association, funded by the South West Healthy Livestock Initiative, explained the key threats and ways to address them.
Biosecurity
Adopting management practices which reduce the potential for the introduction and spread of disease is essential for any poultry producer. “As new producers start out they will be in a honeymoon period – but it won’t last,” says vet Stuart Young, who led the course. “You’ve got to really keep on top of the basic management of the birds.” He recommends inviting a vet to examine the unit and draw up a health plan, which should be adhered to and revised each year.
Common vectors of disease include faeces and litter, wild birds, vermin, flies, feed, equipment such as egg trays, and people. “Mycoplasma gallisepticum can survive for three days in hair and four days on cotton.” Using disposable clothing and foot dips is therefore essential. “Try not to borrow equipment, and reject any egg trays with red mite or broken eggs on them.”
Regular swabs are now required under the Salmonella National Control Programme, says Mr Young. “Salmonella is commonly spread by vermin, so vermin control is very important.” Mice and rats often urinate in water lines and are attracted by loose food – so producers should keep units clean, tidy and well baited, and consider adding acid products to the water to kill bacteria and viruses.
Recognising disease
Producers should spend as much time with their birds as possible, to learn what normal behaviour is like. “If you know what the norm is, you can spot the abnormal – and if you spend time with your birds you will become a better stockman.”
As well as watching out for unusual behaviour – like lethargic or stressed birds – producers should be aware of noise and smell levels, and feed and water intake. “Monitor performance and keep records; any significant drop in production is a sure sign that something is wrong.” Weighing the birds regularly is also important, especially when they come into lay and towards the end of lay.
The birds’ combs and wattles are a useful indicator of health, and should be erect and red. “If the comb is pale and floppy the bird is not well.”
Clean air is very important, as chickens are prone to respiratory disease when ventilation is poor. Birds breathing through open beaks is a sign that the atmosphere is poor, and discharge from the nose or eyes, or sneezing, are also signs of respiratory infection. “If you can see the bird’s third eyelid across the eye then it is probably dehydrated or has an ocular problem – it should not be visible.”
Egg quality and quantity are other useful indicators of health status. “If usually brown eggs turn pale, it can be a sign of illness – although often eggs turn paler in the summer, possibly due to the extra vitamin D produced by the sunlight on the skin,” says Mr Young.
Misshapen or rough shelled eggs can be a sign of disease or stress. They may have been retained in the oviduct for too long – perhaps where the hen could not find a suitable place to lay.
Soft shells often occur in older flocks, due to lack of calcium, but could also indicate disease. “Birds tend to correct their own nutrient imbalances. Consider providing free access to calcium once the pullets have come into lay. If you start to notice any increase in problem eggs, check the health of the birds and consult your vet. If you don’t want to miss any illness in a flock, always observe them quietly from a distance – don’t just walk through them as they will perk up and move.”
Anatomy
Producers should take time to learn basic chicken anatomy, to aid their understanding of disease. “When we look at the avian skeleton, chickens have some very fragile bones, so you need to handle them carefully – including when you get people in to deplete flocks.”
Producers should liaise closely with their rearer, to ensure the birds are reared to the required size and weight, with the necessary vaccination programme. “If you have poor pullets you will potentially have poor production.” Six-week and 12-week weights are crucial development stages for the gastrointestinal tract and skeletal development, he adds. “You’re better off having a larger framed bird which is slightly underweight than a small framed bird that is fat.”
Good skeletal development is essential because hens mobilise the calcium in their large bones to help produce the eggshell; those with small frames will therefore not cope well in lay and will not reach target production.
Rearers can produce hens for target egg size, and weigh birds regularly to get as even a flock as possible. “Speak to your rearer and get regular feedback over bodyweights and any problems in rear, and check the evenness of the flock on delivery – they should be about 85% even.”
Common health problems
The most frequent health issues affecting poultry are respiratory disease and digestive problems. “Poultry diseases spread very quickly through air, water, feed and direct contact. Good biosecurity is therefore essential,” says Mr Young. “There are many bacteria and viruses that affect free-range poultry, producing clinical signs such as diarrhoea and sneezing. The bird can cope with these if it is kept in the right environment and has good food, with a full vaccination programme in rear.”
Producers should provide sufficient nutrients, water and grit for the birds to properly digest their food, and produce eggs as efficiently as possible. “But you should avoid excessively large eggs at all cost – pay attention to the feed and lighting regime, and weigh your eggs regularly. If eggs get too large the cloaca can prolapse, which could spark a problem with cannibalism.”
Feather pecking and loss reduces feed conversion efficiency and increases stress, and could also result in cannibalism. Factors influencing feather pecking include mineral deficiencies, uneven or excessive light, overcrowding, stress and a lack of fibre, says Mr Young. “Provide fibre and sodium, reduce light intensity and remove dominant birds – as a last resort consider beak trimming.” Producers can also help to reduce pecking by feeding a mash, to increase time spent feeding; encouraging ranging to reduce boredom; and providing perches so that bullied birds can escape.
“Chickens soon develop a hierarchy, with some birds being very dominant, so design and place feeders and drinkers so all the birds have access, regardless of the pecking order. Run the feeders twice in the morning, separated by 30-40 minutes, to allow dominant birds to feed first and timid birds to feed later.”
Feed contaminated by bird faeces can spread disease quickly in a shed, so cover drinkers and feeders, especially in sick pens, so they cannot be contaminated, he adds. Producers should also work closely with their nutritionist, and keep feed samples in a cool dark place for 12 weeks, in case of errors in formulation.
Housing considerations
For healthy birds, avoid extremes of temperature, ventilation and humidity; keep dust and ammonia levels low; ensure consistent light levels, and dry, friable litter. “Air quality and avoiding draughts at bird level are really important, although there is always a trade-off between ventilation and temperature.” Use drainage and other methods to keep areas outside popholes dry, and provide shade and shelter on the range to encourage the hens to roam.
Producers should also regularly check their flocks for worms, ideally placing cardboard under perches to collect faeces for accurate faecal egg counts. “Worms reduce productivity and can even result in death – you should worm every eight to 10 weeks on an older site.” At the end of every cycle, producers should rotate paddocks, and thoroughly clean and treat the house inside and out, to eliminate red mite and reduce disease risks.
Treating sickness
All producers should work closely with their vet to identify and treat health problems, says Mr Young. “Care for sick birds well away from healthy ones, and euthanase badly injured or unwell ones to minimise suffering. The best method is cervical dislocation of the neck – but learn to do it properly, and practise on dead birds first, to get the knack of it.”
Producers should also learn how to carry out simple dissection on dead birds, to ascertain reasons for their demise. “All you need is a pair of scissors, and you can check for basic signs of illness. In cases of unexpected mortality, this, with the help of your vet, can help you to act fast and prevent further problems.”
The next West Country Layers’ Association advanced course in poultry health and welfare will be held on 20 January. For more information contact Rachel Watkins on 07966 558 386 or Duchy College on 0845 458 7485.