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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

What causes early chick mortality and how to prevent it

Smart Harvest

By Dr Watson Messo | May 04, 2020

Dear Dr Messo

I have chick mortality, almost two to three chicks daily. Most have pasty butt and high temperature. What could be the cause? I am giving them liquid paraffin, aminovital and chick formula in drinking water. They are on starter feed.

Concerned farmer, Machakos

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Dear Concerned Farmer

According to industry standards, a poultry farmer should aim at achieving a mortality of not more than 0.7 per cent cumulatively over the first seven days of brooding. In slow growing breeds, this mortality can even be lower. This, therefore, means in a flock of 1,000, one should not lose more than one chick per day, a loss of 3 per day for a flock of 1,000 begs for deep investigation, including postmortems. Here are some things that can go wrong.

1. Early chick mortality due to neonatal infections

There are three factors that can influence chick quality, especially during developmental stages in the mother’s ovary up to the point of hatch. These are, mother hen health status, incubator conditions and the hatcher operations. If the chicks came from sick mother hens or parent breeding stock or from dirty eggs, there are high chances that they will experience poor performance and mortality in the first week if there is no immediate intervention.

Likewise, a dirty incubator or hatcher can impact negatively on the chicks prior to placement. How can one know if this problem came from the chick supplier? In most cases you won’t be the only complainant. A discussion with your supplier will be crucial and a vet visit is certainly important to find out the causative agent and treat the flock appropriately.

2. Pre-placement un-preparedness

There is a saying in the poultry industry that goes like this: “fail to prepare and be prepared to fail”. Before chicks arrive ensure that the house and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The feeders and drinkers must be adequate. The waterlines must be flushed with hydrogen peroxide to remove all the biofilms, and thoroughly rinsed with water prior to chick placement. It is equally important to provide clean and good quality litter (wood shavings not saw dust) and spread at a depth of 3-4 inches deep. Provide a heat source in the brooding area 24 hours before chick arrival.

3. Poor brooding conditions

Chicks cannot produce heat to keep themselves warm, and rely on human kindness to give them the correct temperature conditions. In the first week, provide litter temperature of 300C, air temperature in the house of 330C-350C, which will translate to optimal body temperature of 410C. At this optimal body temperature, the chick will comfortably breath through the nostrils and lose just about one to two grammes of moisture in 24 hours.

If the body temperature goes beyond 410C, the chick starts to pant and will lose five to 10 grammes of moisture in 24 hours. Chicks will show pasted vents and eventually die if corrective measures are not immediately taken. Provide portable water and good quality feed at all times.

4. Biosecurity

Finally, ensure that the flock are fully isolated and quarantined against disease-causing pathogens by ensuring that the units are inaccessible to rodents, wild birds and unnecessary visitors. The workers must have proper personal protective equipment like overalls, wellington boots, masks etc.

In large operations, showering facilities are provided and farm workers are prohibited from visiting other poultry sites or slaughterhouses. Ensure that the chicks are vaccinated according to the disease pressure of the local region and in consultation with your vet. Contact me for more information.

[Dr Messo is head of lab and technical at Kenchic. [email protected] or [email protected]]