Poultry Skillathon 26

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

works with the livestock industry in disease prevention

Direct contact transmission

happens when the diseased animal physically touches or is very close to another animal. Transmission is passed through saliva, nasal drainage, pus, feces, and/or blood.

indirect contact.

when diseases remain viable long enough to be transferred by a third party, through Contaminated feeders, waterers, shoes and clothing, farm equipment and tires, wild birds and animals, even humans handling or working in pens, can all transmit diseases.

Disease

may be caused by infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and parasites.

Malnutrition, trauma/injury, cancer, genetic defects, and environmental hazards like toxins, poison or extreme weather conditions can make animals sick.

non-infectious causes of health problems

Eating Behavior, Fecal Pattern and Consistency, Stance, Movement, Posture and Activity Patterns, Group (Herd or Flock) Behavior, Sounds or Acoustical Communication, Normal Vital Signs.

characteristics that serve as the basis for assessing animal health

resting their breast in the palm of your hand, the legs hanging between the fingers, and the head pointing toward your elbow

how to handle a bird

Birds are generally confined in a small cage or held in one's hands

how birds are assessed

Knots

join ropes together, attach ropes to a post or rail, or attach ropes to an animal. The quick release knot is preferred for use with most animals.

Hitches

used to attach a rope to a post or rail - only thing securing the rope to post is the pressure of one rope coil wrapping upon the others.

Splices

used to permanently join ropes to one another - individual strands from each rope are interwoven with strands from the other.

Reefer's Knot (Quick-Release Square Knot)

A good non-slip knot for tying ends of rope together and can easily be released. An advantage is that it can be tied under tension - an important feature for a knot used to restrain livestock.

Bowline Knot

A non-slip knot used to form a loop that will not tighten or draw down when placed around an animal's body or a post.

Quick-Release Knot

The standard way to tie an animal to a post. A variation of a slipknot that can be released very quickly, even when under tension. This knot should never be tied around the neck or body of an animal.

Honda Knot

Knot used to form small loop in the end of a rope in order to pass the rest of the rope through, forming a much larger loop, or lariat

Square Knot

Excellent for tying two nearly equal size ropes together or for tying the ends of a single rope together to form a loop. Used mainly to secure gates or cage openings. Also used to tie a cloth or gauze bandage around the limb of an injured animal.

Double Half Hitch

A quick and easy knot which acts like a slipknot and is a convenient way to tie up the end of a rope

National Animal Identification System (NAIS)

a national program intended to identify specific animals, or in the case of poultry, specific flocks, in the United States and record their movement over their lifespan. Helps to ensure rapid disease containment and maximum protection of America's animals.

should be visible, easy to apply, unalterable, inexpensive and not cause harm or discomfort to the animal

features of poultry identification methods

toe punching, wing banding and leg banding.

methods of poultry identification

toe punching

the simplest of the permanent identification methods

toe punching

The older the chick, the more likelihood for bleeding and other chicks to pick at the toes.

toe punching

only 15 ID patterns are possible, which limits the amount of information that can be transmitted.

chicks between hatching and 4-weeks of age

When should toe punching be done

wing banding

Lightweight and can be stamped with any combination of letters or numbers and/or color coded, which enables a relatively large amount of information to be transmitted. The letters and/or numbers are pre-stamped by the manufacturer.

between hatching and 4-weeks of age.

when should wing banding be done

wing banding

Some chicks may catch their band on a pen, cage, or by one of their toes, and may be unable to free themselves. The chick may eventually free itself by tearing the band through its wing web. Also, bands that are improperly inserted in the wing web may dislodge and be lost.

leg bands

Lightweight and can be stamped with any combination of letters or numbers and/or color coded. The letters and/or numbers are pre-stamped by the manufacturer. Less likely to be lost than wing bands. Easily slipped around the shank. Fits loosely enough not to cut shank. If the correct size is used, it can be attached to birds of any size.

leg bands

The need for a two-person approach is recommended. They need to be replaced by larger ones as the birds grow.

107.1 (105.0 - 109.4) ˚F

average temperature of birds

275 (250-300) beats per minute

average heart rate of birds

12-36 breaths per minute.

average amount of breaths a chicken takes per minute

feed and water intake, death loss, and egg production rate (for laying hens) or growth rate (for broilers)

keep good records of these to notice health problems

chickens don't have sweat glands, respiration is important for getting rid of heat and moisture from the body

why do chickens pant?

intramuscular

in the muscle

subcutaneous

under the skin

ocular

eye drops which flows through duct to respiratory tract

nasal

drops in the nostrils

oral

water or food supply

wing web

puncture the skin on the wing web with a double needle dipped in vaccine

aerosol

sprayed in air over birds

in-ovo

through the shell of an 18 day incubated egg

powder

sprinkled on and under the feathers

Three areas of Quality Assurance standards for producers

injection site management, residue avoidance (antibiotics, chemicals and feed contaminations) and foreign object avoidance (broken needles)

National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)

ensures the health of breeding flocks

Clean the vial

1st step of Drawing Up Medication

Wipe the rubber top with alcohol.

2nd step of Drawing Up Medication

Attach the needle: Twist it securely onto the syringe

3rd step of Drawing Up Medication

Add air: Pull back the plunger to match the dose you need.

4th step of Drawing Up Medication

Insert needle into vial: Push in the air to prevent a vacuum.

5th step of Drawing Up Medication

Draw the medication: Turn the vial upside down and pull the plunger.

6th step of Drawing Up Medication

Cap the needle until you're ready to inject

7th step of Drawing Up Medication

Intramuscular (IM)

What type of injection leaves blemishes?

Pectoral muscles (breast), in the leg, in the tail

Intramuscular (IM)

inguinal region (inside of the thigh), neck, or axillary region (under the wing).

Subcutaneous (Sub-Q)

Needle gauge

the thickness of the needle

…the thinner the needle.

the higher the gauge number…

25-22 gauge

subcutaneous needles

22-20 guage

intramuscular needles

live on the bird's skin, feathers, or feed on its blood. cause discomfort, stress, and reduced weight gain.

External parasites

northern fowl mites, scaley leg mites, sticktight fleas, poultry lice, chicken mites, fowl ticks, and bed bugs

types of external parasites

Virus

Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza

Drop in egg production;sneezing; coughing; drowsiness; death

Vaccine; select eggs and poults from clean flocks

Avian Influenza prevention

No effective drug available

Avian Influenza treatment

Protozoa Coccidia

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis

Weight loss; unthriftiness; palor; blood in droppings; lesions in intestinal wall

Use coccidiostat (kills coccidia organism)

Coccidiosis prevention

Sulfa drugs in drinking water

Coccidiosis treatment

Bacteria

Fowl Cholera

Fowl Cholera

Fever; reduced feed intake;purplish head, greenish- yellow droppings; death

Sanitation; rodent control; isolation of new stock; vaccination

Fowl Cholera prevention

Sulfonamides and antibiotics

Fowl Cholera treatment

Virus

Fowl Pox

Fowl Pox

Small clear to yellow blister on comb and wattles that soon scab over, decreased egg production; reduced feed efficiency

Vaccination; Control mosquitoes

Fowl Pox prevention

none

Fowl Pox treatment

Virus

Infectious Bronchitis

Infectious Bronchitis

Gasping; wheezing; nasal discharge; drop in egg production; soft-shelled eggs

Inactivated and live vaccines

Infectious Bronchitis prevention

none

Infectious Bronchitis treatment

Virus

Lymphoid Leukosis

Lymphoid Leukosis

Combs and wattles may be shriveled, pale, and scaly; enlarged, infected liver; lesions common in liver and kidneys

Sanitation; development of resistant strains through breeding methods

Lymphoid Leukosis prevention

none

Lymphoid Leukosis treatment

Herpes-virus

Marek's disease

Marek's disease

Sudden death; weight loss; paralysis; diarrhea

Vaccination of day old chicks

Marek's disease prevention

none

Marek's disease treatment

Virus

Newcastle Disease

Newcastle Disease

Gasping, coughing, hoarse chirping; twisting of the neck; paralysis; sever drop in egg productions; soft- shelled eggs; death

Vaccination- Young Chicks only

Newcastle Disease prevention

none

Newcastle Disease treatment

Bacteria

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Unthriftiness; decreased egg production; death

Sanitation; put disease-free birds in a clean house or on clean ground

Tuberculosis prevention

none

Tuberculosis treatment