Nuray Integrated Farm

STOP WET LITTER IN BROILER HOUSES

To obtain maximum broiler production potential, management of the poultry house environment is essential. An important measure of a suitable environment is proper maintenance of poultry litter.

Litter is defined as excreted manure mixed with bedding material.

Both heating and ventilation systems must be continually monitored to ensure that the moisture content of the litter is controlled and the litter remains friable. If the moisture content becomes elevated and the litter is allowed to become "sealed," then the birds are being grown on a continually damp, slippery and sticky surface. This sealed litter is often referred to as being "caked." In this condition, the litter is simply saturated with water and the water is unable to escape. A severe litter moisture problem can result if large areas of the house floor surface are caked. It is more common, however, to find localized areas of caking near leaky watering cups, ni***es, troughs or roofs. The litter in these house locations must be continually stirred, raked or replaced to prevent the problem from becoming worse.

If litter is not kept at an acceptable level, very high bacterial loads and unsanitary growing conditions may result producing odors (including ammonia), insect problems (particularly flies), soiled feathers, footpad lesions and breast bruises or blisters.

Expect carcass downgrading at the slaughter house when birds are reared under such poor conditions. In a well-managed broiler house, litter moisture normally averages between 25 to 35 percent.

Litter that is managed correctly with the moisture content kept within the acceptable range can save a farmer from disease problems and antibiotics burden.

caked litter must be removed between flocks and replaced with new litter.

There are several causes of wet litter. A number of control measures can help prevent wet litter problems.

WATERY DROPPINGS:
Diarrhea can be caused by nutrition and/or infectious agents. High intake of the minerals potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfate or chloride can lead to excessive water consumption and wet droppings. If a wet litter problem occurs, feed levels of sodium and chloride (salt) should be determined. It is possible that a feed mixing error has occurred, resulting in an excess of salt in the diet. The water should be checked periodically for mineral concentrations, especially for sulfate and magnesium. Acidification of water plays an important role in keeping bacteria at bay !
Poor quality dietary fat or rancid fat can lead to wet f***l droppings. Likewise, using poor quality feed ingredients such as poorly dried maize, caked bran, rotten silver fish etc....will often result in excessively wet droppings.

To control wet droppings associated with some feed ingredients, it is usually necessary to use litter material that is good at absorption of water from litter for example coffee husks or rice husks.

Moldy Feed:
If broilers are provided moldy feed ingredients, consumption of mycotoxins may cause the droppings to be excessively wet. Mycotoxins are known to irritate the digestive tract and to cause marked pathological changes in the kidneys. Ochratoxin, Oosporin and Citrinin are mycotoxins known to cause these changes. Such changes can lead to increased water consumption and wet droppings. To prevent mycotoxins from becoming a problem, good quality feed ingredients must be used in both layer and broiler diets. Add sangromix active D in feed always because it has an ability to stop mycotoxins effect in the intestines.

Feed handling equipment must be cleaned and disinfected periodically. Caked and moldy feed lodged in equipment like feeders, serving plates, silos can contaminate feed as it passes through the equipment; thus any caked feed must be routinely removed.

Disease:
Numerous diseases cause poultry to excrete wet droppings. This effect may be primary where an infectious agent directly damages the alimentary canal resulting in diarrhea. Secondary effects may occur where birds go off feed but maintain water consumption, resulting in a higher moisture content of the droppings.

Coccidia infections result in direct damage to the gut and will result in wet droppings. Control of coccidiosis through improving litter hygiene, maintaining the litter dry, stopping feed spillage, and avoid pouring water on the floor as well as improving water quality.

if not controlled, coccidial infection may lead to necrotic enteritis and wet litter.

Bacterial infections caused by Escherichia coli, will also result in wet litter. In addition, several viruses phave been implicated as causative agents of diarrhea. Viruses associated with malabsorption of nutrients have an adverse effect on the consistency of the bird's droppings.
We should know that water quality is only determined is we know the bacteria load and virus load in the water together with PH of water.
Adding an acidifier to the water helps to reduce bacteria burden.

Climate Control and Equipment Failure:
Farmers have little or no control over the ambient temperature and humidity outside the poultry house. Nevertheless, temperature and humidity largely influence water consumption and impact litter quality. For example, high temperatures within a broiler house lead to increased water consumption and wet litter. When high humidity accompanies high temperatures the problem can become so severe that it becomes very difficult to properly maintain the litter in a dry and friable condition.

Leaking watering systems, when not maintained in good working order, can cause wet litter problems. The in-line water pressure must be just enough to stop water leaking.
Roofs should be leak-free and ventilation systems should move an adequate amount of air to keep litter moisture levels in the proper range.

Cleaning water pipes and drinkers. Flushing in broiler houses should be done every after 2 weeks to avoid bacteria build up in the pipes which may eventually cause disease and diarrhea.

Bedding Type
There are a limited number of bedding materials that can be used in broiler houses. Any material that is in contact with the birds must be nontoxic, and able to absorb water and subsequently release the moisture to the atmosphere. The material must be readily available in sufficient quantities. Most importantly, it must be economical. You can chose coffee husks or rice husks

Quality soft wood shavings are also used as bedding material but you should avoid saw dust as it causes irritation and respiratory problems.

*Conclusion*
Maintaining moisture levels of poultry house litter in the proper range is essential if the production potential of the flock is to be realized. To accomplish this, management practices must ensure that high quality feed is provided to the flock, disease organisms are not permitted to enter the premises, and adequate ventilation systems and quality bedding material are used.
Do not allow caked litter in a poultry house at all as this is the number 1 cause of coccidiosis, cough and flu and re****ed growth.

IMPORTANT FOR POUTRY FARMERS

*Layers vs. Broilers: Which One Should You Choose?*

This is a common question among poultry farmers, especially with a beginner. And sometimes they make wrong decisions due to lack of beginners' guide in poultry farming, which may lead to frustration and regret. So, to avoid such, you have to do some proper research for rearing layers and broilers.
Hyline layer

Examples of these commercial chickens are Hubbard, Shavers, Babcock , Isabrown, and Hyline for layers, while Cornish cross, ROSS 308, and Cobb for broilers, which are trade (or special ) names given to them. In Nigeria, layers, that produce many, large and brown eggs and good body size at end of lay and white broilers with heavy breast meat, long tibia, and shanks are mostly preferred.
Ross 308 broiler

Next, you have to know the differences between layers and broilers for better decision making.

*What is the difference between layers and broilers?*

1.Layers are reared mainly for egg production, while broilers are reared mainly for meat.

2. A layer produce more eggs without growing too much (upon 72 weeks). A broiler yield more meat and hence they grow very fast ( can attain market size at 6-7 weeks)

3. Layers require enough space and adequate lighting, while broilers require conditions to grow fast and low mortality

4. Layers require restricted and calculated feed, while broilers food requirement is rich in protein and vitamins

5. In Layers, recovery from a loss is time and money consuming, while recovery from a loss is easier with broilers because you can easily start another circle of production due to their fast growth rate

6. You can make more profit with few broilers, while you require a larger number of layers to make a profit

You don’t choose layers, or broilers based on your likeness or sentiments, there are several factors you have to consider before making your choice. And again, you have to understand their differences in terms of growth rate, egg production, and resistance to diseases, Market demands, etc to enable you to make an informed decision.

*What are layers and broilers chickens?*

Layers and broilers are chickens bred for commercial egg and meat production respectively. They are also called commercial hybrids or strains rather than pure breeds. These hybrids or strains are usually highly superior to the pure breeds for their egg or meat production. You may determine, from experience, on the best hybrid for your situation.
Layers in Battery cage
The differences above are helpful, but not enough to guide you in making an informed decision on which breed to choose. They are other factors that you have to also consider as earlier stated. These factors include

Marketing
Vaccine and medication
Basic skill requirement
Initial start-up cost
Long term gain

1. Marketing:
Marketing is one of the skills most poultry farmers are lacking. They invest solely in production without investing in marketing. Before you start your production you have to find and locate your target market to avoid being stranded.

Broiler marketing:

Broiler marketing is more intense because they can attain market size between 6- 7 weeks and you have to sell them. They feed on their profit once you refused to sell them at this stage (maximum 8 weeks) because you have to keep feeding them.

Moreover, broilers feed conversion rate decreases with age, so you have to look for customers before starting your production in order to avoid food wastage and loss.
Broilers are known for their fast growth rate

Another way you can market broiler and avoid loss is through meat processing. That is converting your matured broiler to a frozen chicken for storage, if you can afford a deep freezer, in that way you will be safe from continuous feeding and spending.

Moreover, some breed of broilers is more suitable for frozen chicken sales because of their heavy breast meat and weight, obviously, because frozen chickens are sold by weighing. If you do not have a means of storage, then be rest assured the market will not be in your favor most times.
You can as well process your broiler chickens for better sales and storage

However, you can make a ton of cash from just a few broilers, unlike layers. All you need is a good marketing strategy, and you will be smiling to the bank.

Marketing for Layers:
Layers are easier to market than broilers, although, it takes time to get to a marketable size, or to a point of lay. The eggs are the major source of income, and they can be stored up to 3 – 4 weeks without spoiling.

In this case, you will only sell the eggs when you are willing and you will not get desperate about them. Even though you will be feeding the chickens every day, they will be laying more eggs that you get to sell when you find customers that want to buy.

Another bonus is that you will sell the chickens as "old layer", the money realized from the sales is just the icing of the cake.
2. Vaccines and medications:
With broilers, you will spend less money on vaccines and medication. This is because they attain market size within a short period of time leaving no room for disease and pathogens to manifest. Just a few diseases like Newcastle, Gumboro, and Coccidiosis, affect broilers within that short period of time which can be prevented by vaccines.
Chickens' medications

Broilers can attain marketable size between 6-8 weeks, and it is not advisable to keep feeding them after this period because there will be little or no feed conversion –that means they are feeding on their profit and you are running into a loss, and some diseases agents might just be at the corner waiting to register themselves in your flock.

On the other hand, layers require more vaccination and medication because more time ( about 16 – 18 weeks to get to point of lay, and 72 weeks to get to the end of lay) is required to rear them to a point of lay, and as such there will be more health challenges.

You will spend more money on treatment and prevention of diseases, including periodic deworming and debeaking. All these require a lot of money, and anyone that is neglected will have adverse effects on production in general.

Related: Poultry Vaccination Schedule for Layers and Broilers

3. Basic skill requirement:

A beginner or novice can easily rear broilers with fewer casualties, because broilers grow very fast, and can be sold as early as 6 weeks leaving no room for some disease manifestation, which most beginners may not be able to handle without some experience and skills. With layer it is totally different; you cannot rear layers without some basic skills and guidance from an experienced farmer.

Layers are not like broilers that attain marketable size early; they need more time, and with more time come so many challenges, especially health and feed management, which can only be contained by a trained or experienced farmer. It is not advisable for a beginner to start with layers, even if he or she has undergone some training, it is still not enough to handle layers, rather he/she should attaché himself or herself to an experienced farmer.
Chicks in a Brooder: Brooding requires skills

You cannot use layers as a try and error project, because the startup number is always large (100 and above) to enable you to make some profit at least.

If you use a smaller number (like 30-50) of layers, you will make little or no profit. So, in order to secure your investment and avoid mistakes beginners make in poultry farming, you have to equip yourself with the necessary skills and experience.

4. Initial start-up cost:

Generally, poultry farms require large input cost, but the start-up cost for rearing layers is more when compared with that of broilers. In fact, you don’t make any profit till after 18 to 20 weeks.

That is the money for feeds, vaccines, medications, and equipment should be on the ground before purchasing your day-old chicks (DOC). You need to be financially stable to be able to run a Layer farm.
Layer require a high start-up cost

Broiler, on the other hand, requires little start-up costs. You can start with 50 to 100 broilers and sell at 6 to 8 weeks and still make a profit out of it. Much vaccines and medications are not required, although, broiler feed is more costly than layers feed, due to the high protein, carbohydrate and vitamins supplement in it, in order to attain marketable size within a short period of time.

5. Long term revenue:
Layers will not only give you income on a daily basis through the selling of eggs but will also serve as a source for long term revenue through selling the layers when they get to the end of lay- that is when the layers grow old and the rate of their feed consumption is higher than the egg production, you should know it is time to sell them out and start another set of production.
To achieve the same fit of revenue with broilers, you have to have a chain of customers that you will be supplying periodically. Having such customers and satisfying them is not an easy task. You have to rear several sets of broiler within a year and meeting up demand is daunting, although, if you have the manpower you will sell and make more profit within a short time.

The reverse is the case with layers. A set of layers will continue to generate income for more than a year. And sometimes old layers also compete with broilers in the meat market. The demand for layer meat might increase any time, so what do you do with your broiler meat?
This is the reason you have to consider your target customer before rearing broilers. Make sure they will be w***y to buy your broiler at maturity. Also have other sale options like processing them into frozen chickens.- which is a good means of generating a long term revenue.

In Conclusion

Rearing layers or broilers are both profitable business. Making your choice largely depends on the above factors discussed above. It is left for you to determine which breed you can manage effectively and make a profit, along with the pros and cons that will also align with your lifestyle.

For me, I started with a broiler and now layers only. Sometimes I rear broiler seasonally. You see, Your choice will mainly depend on factors that are prevalent at a particular time. As you make your choice, I wish you successful poultry farming.

Posted by: Samuel Ezenwankwo

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSING CROP FILL IN THE BROODER

Crop fill assessment is one of the measure of determining the comfort of the birds in the brooder.

Crop fill assessment is when a poultry attendant or farmer massages the crop of a chick to determine whether the chicks have familiarized with the feed and water.

Making a crop fill assessment helps us to judge appetite development in the chicks, health and to avoid a compromised growth rate.
It also helps to improve flock growth rate uniformity, and productivity.
With a poor crop fill, farmers experience high mortality, poor growth rate, more small and weak chicks.

How is it done?

You know, when you have just introduced chicks in the brooder, we give them clean water which contains glucose. So they have to go for about an hour without feed, but with good quality water that has glucose.

After than one hour, we then introduce feed, where we spread SUPER STARTER PELLETS On the brooder paper for the chicks to start eating.

After about 3 hours in the brooder, we are supposed to sample out chicks from different points of the brooder, and massage their crops to feel if their crops are filled with any content. We are supposed to pick atleast 10 chicks from different points of the brooder as we record our findings:

📌you may find that the crop is *hard and full* with content that feels like feed on touching. This will mean the chicks have gained access to feed, but cannot access water. This worries!
📌a rounded, full and soft crop signifies that the chicks have been able to locate feed and water do they are okay.
📌in some cases, you may find empty crops meaning no feed, no water!

This exercise should be repeated again when birds have made 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours.

Results from every crop check should be compared with the first results. We should have an improvement.
You must have more crops filled with both feed and water. So, the crops must be soft, full rounded. This means theres feed, and water. This is safe.

Practicing the following measures below will give you more crops filled with feed and water:
🐥 Every stage of birds have their own equipment. Using big drinkers and big feeders leads to empty crops. Birds cannot reach the water on big drinkers and they cannot eat from big feeders so you may have more deaths with empty crops. Use baby drinkers, lower the water lines, touch the ni***es and teach the chicks how to drink from the ni***es, spread adequate feed (SUPER STARTER PELLET) On the brooder paper.
🐥pre heating the brooder helps chicks to find a comfortable environment for them. Litter should be dry and warm otherwise chicks may just become dull in cold environment and refuse to eat.
🐥Replenishing feed and water. Remember you are supposed to put feeds on the brooder paper for the first day, but if you put too much the chicks will just dedicate in the feed. So, put little feed at a time, when they finish it you put another.....like that , like that....
For water, birds may refuse to drink if the water is too warm! I advise that for manual drinkers, farmers replenish the water every after 8 or 9 hours .....so you put new one, or for piped water ( ni**le lines), farmers should let the water floor out of the ni**le pipes every 7 to 8 hours. The same to those using cage brooding. This is done to allow access to new and fresh water.
🐥The quality of light in the brooder will determine whether your birds will be able to see feed or not. You brooder must have a high light intensity enough for the birds to pick feed from the brooder paper always.... otherwise if they cannot see, they won't eat. Avoid spot lighting in brooder.
🐥90% of the brooder floor should be covered with brooder paper to reduce chances of chicks eating litter And to have more space to put feed.
🐥arrangements of feed and water. Put drinkers away from heat source to avoid water warming up, feed should not be far away from water, better to align the feed and water adjacent but in a straight line.
🐥you will need to put more supplementary drinkers than the recommended number, to allow even the weakest chicks to access water.

*Notes*
Full and hard crops are an indicator of constipation on the next day or 2.
Empty crops is an indicator of likely high mortality rate due to failure of the birds to access feed and water!

Don't forget to buy our new chacool brooder for easy brooding 💪💪💪