CAFRE - Young Farmers
Level 2 Qualification
•POULTRY WELFARE
What to consider before the chicks are placed
Biosecurity:
• Poultry House (Clean and Disinfect)
• Day old chicks
• Bedding
• Feed and Water
• People/Visitors/Transport
• Vermin
• Dead bins
Disease can spread via recognised vectors of infection:
• animals themselves
• people: employees, contractors, lorry drivers, advisors, catchers and
vets
• contaminated feed and water
• housing and equipment
• other animals, vermin (wild birds, rats, mice, flies and beetles)
• and even the air itself
What can I do?
Poultry House (Clean and Disinfect)
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Have a protocol of C&D in place
Remove litter (consider hygienic disposal)
Clean up by using a detergent
Spray an appropriate disinfectant onto dry surfaces
Correct dilution and cover all surfaces
Consider fumigation/floor burning as additional measures
Repeat that protocol each time
What can I do?
What can I do?
People
• Prevent entry unless essential..lock the door
• This entry point must be obvious...close the gate...put up a tape
• If essential make sure you know where they were last...is this likely to
put your birds at risk?
• Keep a visitors book
• If in doubt ask your vet!
What can I do?
People
• Give visitors protective clothing
• Wash your hands before entering bird area
• Ensure visitors wash their hands
• Provide warm water, soap and disposable hand towels
• Always dry your hands...and sanitise
What can I do?
Footdips
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Essential but need proper management
Need to use approved disinfectant
At proper concentration..not diluted by rainwater
Need to change weekly..more frequently if a lot of use and if dirty
Don’t dip grossly contaminated boots
Hygiene Barrier
Bedding
• Use bedding material from an approved supplier. Increased
moisture – risk of mould (Aspergillus spp)
Feed
• Consider raw material source
• Feed needs to be formulated correctly in accordance with the birds’ metabolic
needs otherwise health issues can occur (wet litter, malabsorption, toxicity)
Water
It’s role is very important as birds drink twice as much as they eat!
Consider:
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Chemical quality (e.g. high iron concentration)
Source (mains, borewell)
C&D of tanks, drinker lines
Removal of biofilm that can hide bacteria
Have your water tested regularly
Vermin
• Carriers of Salmonella, pasteurella, e coli…
• Prevent and control
• Keep vegetation cut, keep bait boxes in place ..check regularly and
replenish, clean up feed spills/leaks immediately, maintain bins
• Don’t encourage wild birds onto range..no outdoor feed/water..standing
water is a problem
What to consider during the cycle
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The modern broiler is very different to the bird reared 60 years ago!
Demand for poultry is increasing yearly around the word
Genetic selection for a more efficient bird
Normally thinning at 33-35 days and depopulation at 42-45 days
• But is there a downside? (sudden death syndrome, ascites, lameness
etc)
What to consider during the cycle
Health aspects
• Disease (bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoal)
• Metabolic (imbalance of vitamins, minerals)
Welfare aspects- Five Freedoms
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Freedom from hunger, thirst, malnutrition
Freedom from physical discomfort (too cold, too hot, too little space)
Freedom from pain, injury and disease
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Freedom from fear and distress
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
Welfare aspects
• All our efforts are focused on imitating nature
• Chicks are transferred from the hatchery to the farm (often long journeys)
• Transition needs to be as smooth as possible
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
Welfare aspects
• Good chickstart is paramount for good health, wellbeing and performance (The first
week corresponds to 23% of the life of the 1.75g broiler)
• Ensure the house is nice and warm (not just the air but the floor too as the chicks
will quickly get cold if they come in contact with a cold floor)
• Transfer the chicks promptly, and minimise stress
• Chicks will need to find feed and water as soon as they arrive in the house
• Apply chickpaper on the ground and spread feed on top
• Apply additional drinkers over the first few days
• Once chicks are placed ensure that that light is bright in order to facilitate chicks
finding feed and water
• Consult breed Management Guides, integrator advisors, Veterinarian
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
Welfare aspects
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Always measure Temperature, Humidity, Carbon Dioxide (near bird level)
Make necessary adjustments
CO2 below 2500 ppm
Ammonia below 25ppm
Air velocity 10-20cm/sec
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
The chicks need to be comfortable and spread evenly across the
house.
If not investigate why (cold draughts, wet litter, lighting)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
• Good start is paramount for the chick liveability but also future performance
• Carry out a crop fill check at 24h. Aim for >95% crop fill
• Chicks that fail to “start” will lose weight, get dehydrated and possibly die once the
yolk sac nutrients are depleted
• Their crops and gizzards found empty often visceral gout
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
Health aspects
• Design correct vaccination programmes (for breeding stock and broiler chicks) based
on field pressure. In the UK broilers will receive an IB (Infectious Bronchitis)
vaccination at the hatchery
• C&D to ensure a clean environment before placement
• Provision of clean water
• Provision of clean bedding
• Other Biosecurity measures
• Consider anti-coccidial programme
• Monitor and record the mortality on a daily basis. High early mortality could indicate
an issue with chick health, the conditions of the house or both.
• Consult with your vet as antibiotic therapy may be needed
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
Health aspects
• Bacterial infection (yolk sac infection, septicaemia, omphalitis)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 1
Health aspects
What to consider during the cycle
Week 2
• Further growth the development occurs mainly in skeleton, organs, muscle mass
• Lighting programme introduced gradually in the first week in order to comply with
EU requirements at the start of the second week (6h of darkness, min 20lux across
house)
• High risk of metabolic problems due to excess growth
• Check the chicks’ weight on a weekly basis and compare with breed standards
• If deviations consult your field advisors/vet
What to consider during the cycle
Week 2
Keep monitoring:
• House conditions and bird activity in relation to them (well spread out, “huddling”)
• Water/feed consumption
• Even growth or evidence of unevenness
• Bird behaviour (normal feeding activity, normal walking/gait patterns, signs of
disease)
• Daily mortality (Consider slowing down growth temporarily with lighting and/or
feeding programmes if deemed necessary)
• Litter quality (identify normal and abnormal droppings)
• Pododermatitis lesions (especially if there issues with high humidity, damp litter)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 2
Vaccination timing:
Your vet will assist you in determining the right vaccination time (2nd or 3rd week)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 2
Vaccination Principles:
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Store the vaccine correctly (high or freezing temp will damage the vaccine)
Use a clean surface away from disinfectants to prepare your vaccine solution
Use clean water (remove any sanitisation agents 24-48h in advance)
Add a water stabiliser (blue dye)
Open the vials underneath the water (use correct amount of doses)
Transfer the vaccine to the header tank (or connect solution to dosing pump)
Prime your drinker lines (VERY IMPORTANT)
Provided you have thirsted the birds (approx 30min) bring the water back to the birds. Ensure
vaccinated water is used up within 2h
• Check for tongue staining signs
What to consider during the cycle
Week 3
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The birds are growing fast and their feed intake is rising rapidly
Diet adjusted to their metabolic needs (grower phase containing more protein)
This places a lot of pressure on the gut health
Additional challenges from coccidia, field viruses/bacteria
What to consider during the cycle
Week 3
Keep monitoring:
• House conditions and bird activity in relation to them
• Water/feed consumption
• Even growth or evidence of unevenness
• Bird behaviour (normal feeding activity, normal walking/gait patterns, signs of disease)
• Daily mortality (Consider slowing down growth temporarily with lighting and/or feeding
programmes if deemed necessary)
• Litter quality (identify normal and abnormal droppings, excess water/drinker
managment/pressure, ventilation problems)
• Pododermatitis lesions (especially if there are issues with high humidity, damp litter)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 3
Pododermatitis lesions
• Potentially very painful if deep and extensive
• Specific provisions by the EU Broiler Directive- trigger points
What to consider during the cycle
Week 3
Emphasis on litter quality:
• Due to increase in water consumption and excretion
• Important to be able to identify normal from abnormal droppings
• Report any issues to your vet
What to consider during the cycle
Week 4
• Rapid growth continues
• The birds become better feathered so becoming more difficult to expel heat
Keep monitoring:
• House conditions and bird activity in relation to them (well spread out, “huddling”)
• Water/feed consumption
• Even growth or evidence of unevenness
• Bird behaviour (normal feeding activity, normal walking/gait patterns, signs of disease)
• Daily mortality (Consider slowing down growth temporarily with lighting and/or feeding programmes
if deemed necessary)
• Litter quality (identify normal and abnormal droppings)
• Pododermatitis lesions (especially if there are issues with high humidity, damp litter)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 4
Keep monitoring:
• Sings of stress (especially in warm weather)
• Signs of disease (e.g. respiratory)
• Signs of increasing lameness (birds unable or reluctant to stand and walk)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 5-6
• Rapid growth continues (25% growth expected during the last week)
• By the end of the week the house is getting quite full and there is higher risk for heat stress, leg
issues, litter issues
Keep monitoring:
• House conditions and bird activity in relation to them (well spread out, “huddling”)
• Water/feed consumption
• Even growth or evidence of unevenness
• Bird behaviour (normal feeding activity, normal walking/gait patterns, signs of disease)
• Daily mortality (Consider slowing down growth temporarily with lighting and/or feeding programmes
if deemed necessary)
• Litter quality (identify normal and abnormal droppings)
• Pododermatitis lesions (especially if there are issues with high humidity, damp litter)
What to consider during the cycle
Week 5-6
Consideration of the slaughter process
• Increased activity/competition around feeding times could lead to skin tears/scratches and
subsequent infection that will lead to factory condemnations
• Consider lighting regime, feed withdrawal
• Practicalities of catching
• Biosecurity
Medication Principles
There is occasions that the introduction of an antibiotic agent will be required followed a veterinary
assessment in order to treat bacterial diseases and improve bird health and welfare. In order for this
to happen:
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Notify your veterinarian of any abnormal symptoms (health or welfare related)
A post mortem examination will be carried out
Collection of samples from affected tissues
Bacteriological culture carried out to identify associated bacteria
Sensitivity check to identify the most suitable antibiotic
An antibiotic agent will be prescribed
The agent will be accompanied by a script that will describe the application method and dose rate
The respective Medicine Record needs to be filled in