BVSc V Assignments – Second Semester 2005
1.
A broiler farmer, near Delmas contacts you regarding the possibility of
upgrading from manual tube feeders to an automatic feeder system.
The farmer is a contract grower for a large concern with an abattoir. He
has two identical broiler houses on his site, they are 100m long and 8m
wide. Advise him on the benefits and possible difficulties associated
with such a change.
You need to advise him on the specific products available in the
market, including price implications of his product choice.
2.
A broiler farmer, near Delmas contacts you regarding the possibility of
upgrading from bell drinkers to an automatic drinking system with
nipple drinkers. The farmer is a contract grower for a large concern with
an abattoir. He has two identical broiler houses on his site, they are
120m long and 9m wide. Advise him on the benefits and possible
difficulties associated with such a change.
You need to advise him on the specific products available in the
market, including price implications of his product choice.
3.
A broiler farmer has a problem with rodents as well as litter beetles on
his farm; he comes to you for solutions to these problems. Advise him
on possible approaches including specific products and relative costs.
This particular farmer has been approached by a large supermarket
chain to supply “organically grown” chicken, how would your control
programme influence his chances of being able to supply product to
this supermarket? Are there more “environmentally friendly”
alternatives?
4.
A layer 50 000 hen commercial layer farm is situated near Kyalami.
The farm was built more than 20 years ago when the area was far from
any houses and consists of 2 tire cage units with shallow manure pits.
Unfortunately the houses have moved nearer and the local (wealthy)
residents have started to complain about the flies in the area which
originate from the farm. They have even sent petitions to the local city
council.
Please advise the farmer how he can control the fly problem on his
farm, to ensure that the city council does not close down the farm. Take
note of specific products which he could use and include advice on
different manure disposal options. If manure is supplied to farmers, are
there any drugs or toxins routinely used in layer poultry operations that
might impact the dowstream users?
5.
The broiler farmer who owns the broiler farm, near Delmas, in question
1 contacts you with a request for a vaccination programme for his farm.
He is concerned about the recent outbreaks of Newcastle disease that
have been reported on the Highveld.
Design a complete (not only for Newcastle disease) vaccination
programme for a broiler farm like the one in question 1, where there is
a significant risk of a Newcastle disease outbreak. Your advice should
include: specific product choices, exact days for administration of
vaccines and recommended methods of application. You should be
able to defend specific choices with scientific argument. Cost/ benefit
aspects should also be addressed.
6.
Discuss the control of coccidiosis in broiler breeders with particular
reference to vaccination. Give details of products available and their
correct useage.
7.
Mycoplasmal disease is a chronic and economically significant disease
of chickens. Discuss the consequences of the disease and the control
and treatment of Mycoplasmal (M. gallisepticum, M. synoviae)
infections in all types (broilers, layers, broiler breeders) of commercial
chickens in South Africa.
8.
Discuss and try to quantify the risks to human health posed by
Salmonella infections of chickens and what steps can be taken – in the
South African context - to control Salmonella in chickens in order to
reduce these risks.
9.
You are asked to investigate a problem of Aspergillosis in an integrated
broiler production company. How would you go about determining the
possible source of the problem and what steps would you take to
control the disease on breeder farms, in the hatchery and on broiler
farms. Details of products and their application should be included.
10.
ILT has become a problem disease in layer flocks across South Africa.
Make a study of the disease and advise on appropriate control
strategies. Discuss the various vaccines available and their advantages
and disadvantages as well as the risks associated with using them. A
cost/benefit estimate of ILT vaccination should be carried out. What
would you do in the event of an outbreak of the disease on a layer
farm?
11.
Recent outbreaks of Newcastle disease around South Africa have
again highlighted the risks associated with this disease. Effective
immunisation of chickens, and in particular broilers, has become
critically important. The route and method of application of Newcastle
disease vaccine to broilers has a significant impact on the immune
response of the birds to the vaccines. Discuss the nature of the
immune response to Newcastle disease in chickens as well as the
advantages and disadvantages of different application techniques
under field conditions, where the risk of challenge is substantial.
12.
A broiler farmer near Delmas has two identical broiler houses on a site,
they are 100m long and 8 m wide. The houses are 15m apart and the
site is surrounded by a 2m high barbed wire fence. He has a second
identical site on the farm, about 300m away from the first site. 30 000
boilers are placed alternately on each site at 4 week intervals. The
chickens produced are sold to an abattoir 35km away where they are
slaughtered and sold to supermarket chains.
He has a serious (60% mortality) outbreak of Newcastle disease on the
first site. The surviving birds are now 32 days old and weigh about 1kg.
You are the private veterinarian who makes the diagnosis. (with some
help from a virologist). What are your legal obligations under the
circumstances? What would the state veterinarian do once advised of
the outbreak? What advice would you give the farmer in terms of a
Newcastle disease vaccination programme, vaccine application and
biosecurity requirements to control future outbreaks and to avoid
spread of the disease? Give detailed and practical suggestions at each
stage of the process.
A medium-sized broiler farm similar to the one described in question 1
suffers an outbreak of velogenic Newcastle disease with serious losses
13.
“Organic farming” has become a buzz-word (phrase?) today.
Investigate what is actually meant by this and related terms around the
world and what the consumer can expect to get when buying different
forms of “organically grown chickens”. What is the situation in South
Africa today in this arena?
14.
Recent legislation in the European Union has been introduced whereby
the use of conventional cage systems for layers will be phased out by
2012. A lot of work has been done to investigate the possible
alternatives to this system. Evaluate the work done to date and assess
whether phasing out conventional cages is realistic. What would be
your assessment of such legislation in the South African context?
15.
Over the past decade, the European Union has placed ever-increasing
restrictions on drugs used in animals raised for human consumption. In
particular they have restricted the use of antibiotics, antibiotic growth
promotrs and anticoccidials. Please track the development of these
restrictions and study the effects they have had on the European
poultry industry. What alternative strategies have evolved to deal with
the problems that arise ?
16.
As a consequence of the changes in legislation in the European Union,
many antibiotic type products have become unavailable to the South
African poultry industry over the past decade. It is expected that many
others will soon also cease to be available. A particular challenge has
been the withdrawal of antibiotic growth promoters and certain
coccidiostats from the market. What products are available in the South
African market to “replace” these products and how do they work?
17.
Discuss the dangers to human health posed by products routinely
added to poultry rations. Consider also the risks to poultry health posed
by drugs used in human health care. (If you are interested you may
also wish to consider the impact that HIV/AIDS may have on the South
African poultry industry from a health as well as an economic point of
view. – optional)
18.
Avian influenza : discuss the recent outbreaks in South Africa in
ostriches and chickens and the impact they have had on the South
African poultry and ostrich industries. These impacts may be to reduce
exports, increase costs of disease control or even to reduce production.
What control strategies are available and what will be the
consequences of using these strategies on South Africas export
opportunities? What risk is posed to human health by the current Avian
Influenza outbreaks in South Africa?
19.
Take a detailed look at the control of Gumboro disease (IBD) in
broilers, including how broiler breeder flocks are vaccinated in order to
assist with the control of IBD in broilers. Does the control of the disease
differ in layer flocks. Some new technology which allows day old
vaccination of broilers against IBD has recently been launched into the
South African market – please include this in your discussion.
20.
Broilers reach maturity earlier every year. This means that effective
vaccination of broilers also becomes increasingly challenging. One
solution to the problem has been to vaccinate eggs “in-ovo” before they
even hatch. Please investigate this technology and how it works as well
as the vaccinations which can be applied in this way at present and in
the future.
21.
A client approaches the Poultry Reference Centre wanting to compare
the effiacy of their new IBD vaccine with IBD vaccines already available
in the South African market. Design a research protocol according to
which this trail can be carried out. Any such protocol must take note of
prevous similar trial work that has already been done and also
cognisance of the facilities available at the PRC. (This assignment
would need to be done in collaboration with me. Students may also
become involved in carrying out the trial)
22.
I have similar research trials (see 21) for Fowl Typhoid and Infectious
Bronchitis vaccines that need to be done.