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TROUBLESHOOTING THE SMALL FLOCK Dr. Jacquie Jacob Extension Associate

TROUBLESHOOTING THE SMALL FLOCK Dr. Jacquie Jacob Extension Associate Department of Animal and Food Sciences. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS. Processing : Broilers

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TROUBLESHOOTING THE SMALL FLOCK Dr. Jacquie Jacob Extension Associate

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  1. TROUBLESHOOTING THE SMALL FLOCK Dr. Jacquie Jacob Extension Associate Department of Animal and Food Sciences

  2. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS

  3. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS • Processing: • Broilers • Starting a flock without knowing where to get the birds processed or what is involved in doing it yourself • Layers • Shortage of sufficient clean nest boxes • Not picking up eggs frequently • Not knowing how to wash, candle and packaged eggs for sale

  4. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS • Brooding • Under heating chicks • Over heating chicks

  5. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS • Housing • Overcrowding of adults • Shortage of dry bedding for confined flocks or well-drained soils for free-range flocks • Protection from predators, especially from the skies • Not providing laying flocks with supplemental light

  6. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS • Nutrition • Feeding the wrong feed-type • Feeding scratch grains • Not enough feeder and/or waterer space • Free-range: Not adjusting for the change in food available with the changing seasons

  7. THE TOP FIVE PROBLEM AREAS • Source of birds: • Purchasing from a swap meet

  8. 1. Type, quantity, age and source of birds on the flock • Important when dealing with mix species or mixed ages • What birds have the problem? • What is the source of the birds? • Multiple sources, new birds on farm, age of birds when purchased, NPIP hatchery

  9. 2. What feed is being fed to the broilers? • Poultry need a complete feed that contains protein (amino acids), energy, vitamins and minerals • Laying hens need diets that are 14-16% protein • Broiler starter diets contain 20-22% protein • Broiler grower diets contain 18-20% protein • Turkeys, game birds and other fowl need higher protein than chickens

  10. 2. What feed is being fed to the broilers?…. continued • Cracked corn and scratch grains do not supply needed nutrition • Amount of feed being eaten • Layers: ¼ lb / chicken daily • Broilers: 10 – 12 lb of feed / chicken for entire growout

  11. 3. How is water supplied? • What is the source of water? • Need clean, fresh water • Pond vs. City water • Watering system? • Clean mold-free drinkers • Winter: Frozen water lines and drinkers • Summer: Heat build up / flush lines • Opaque water lines and reservoirs

  12. 3. How is water supplied? …. continued • Quantity of water consumed? • 5 gallons of water / 100 laying hens or for market-ready broilers • Double water consumption in warm weather

  13. 4. How are the birds housed? • A variety of options depending on: • Type of birds • Number of birds • Predators in the area • Materials available • Pasture-raised / free-range: Pasture and soil conditions • Labor available

  14. BACKYARD FLOCKS

  15. FLOOR LITTER MATERIAL

  16. PASTURED POULTRY

  17. FREE RANGE

  18. FLIGHT PENS: FLOOR WITH OUTSIDE RUN Either ground or wire

  19. 5. What is the amount of room provided per bird? • No matter the housing system you can over crowd the birds • Overcrowding can cause feather picking, cannibalism, reduced feed consumption • Chickens need at least 2.5 ft2 per bird on the floor and 80 in2 of cage space • Turkeys need 3 to 4 times the space of chickens

  20. 5. What is the amount of room provided per bird?…. continued • Game birds need extra room to prevent cannibalism • Feeder space and water space can cause crowding • All birds should be able to eat at one time • 2 – 4 inches per bird

  21. 6. What symptoms do the birds have? • Listless • Paralysis • Loose/watery Droppings • Blood in Droppings • Coughing/Nasal Rattle • Nasal Discharge • Swollen Eyes • Cannibalism, pecking/feather picking • Drop in Egg Production

  22. 6. What symptoms do the birds exhibit?…. continued • Limber neck • Visible External Parasites • Poor Growth • Skin Lesions • Curled Toes • Swollen Head • Poor Shell Quality • Swollen Hocks • Crusted or swollen scales • Other

  23. 7. Have any birds died? • How many and when? • Which birds? • Age • Species • All or subpopulation affected?

  24. 8. Have any birds been sent to a diagnostic lab? • Which lab? • Who is the submitting veterinarian? • Any diagnosis? There is a charge at the labs. Cap of $55 for five birds The birds need to be submitted by a veterinarian

  25. 9. What vaccination program is being used on the farm? • List type and date of each vaccination. • Vaccinate at the hatchery for Marek’s Disease • No other vaccine required unless a history of disease on premises

  26. 10. Is there a history of this type of disease or symptom on this farm (or in the area) in the past? • Is the current situation a recurring problem? • Have neighbors been having the same or similar problems with their flocks?

  27. 11. What lighting programs are the birds on? • Natural light only; Natural light + supplemental light; or Artificial light only • How much light (Hours / Day) do the birds receive? • To lay year round need supplemental light for a day length of 14-16 hours of light • Birds on natural light will go out of production after the first of the year because of short day length and will return to production in spring with increasing day length • Constant light of 24 hours will cause the birds to go out of production • A 60 watt bulb eight feet above the birds gives enough light in a 10’ x 10’ area

  28. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • Clean and Neat or Build up of wet litter or bedding in pens • Good ground cover in outside pens or runs or Muddy runs or outside pens with poor drainage

  29. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • Feed is properly stored and provided fresh daily or Feed is stored in areas with extreme conditions of cold or hot • Feeders kept clean or Moldy or caked feed in feeders or Table scrapes laying in pens or runs

  30. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • Waterer or drinkers are kept clean or Waterer or drinkers are dirty and not cleaned regularly

  31. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • Poultry on farm are isolated from other animals or Rodents or other pests present or Wild birds have excess to buildings or feeders

  32. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • Different species of birds are kept separate from each other (i.e., chicken, turkeys, waterfowl are not mixed) or All species of birds are raised together with no separation

  33. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • No new birds are brought on to the farm except as chicks or hatching eggs or New birds have been added to the flock within the last two months

  34. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • The owner has attended a poultry show or swap meet or exhibited birds • The owner has had contact with commercial poultry

  35. 12. Which of the following conditions exist on the farm? …. continued • Birds that have been to shows or swap meets are kept isolated for 30 days when returned to the farm • Birds at shows and swap meets are added immediately to the flock

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