ur momma

Types of enclosures for laying hens

Battery cages
Enriched
Cage free
Free-range / Pastured (proposed)

Biosecurity

Procedures used to prevent the introduction and spread of disease and reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens

What are diseases?

Any abnormal condition that impairs bodily functions in an organism

Pathogens

Anything that can cause disease
-Bacteria
-Fungi
-Parasites

Why is it important to implement biosecurity?

Culling
Production losses
Medication costs
Broilers may not be marketable
Decreased product quality
Loss of income

Zoonotic diseases

Infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Ex: Salmonella, Avian Influenza

Methods of disease transmission

Contact
Ingestion
Airborne

Means of disease transport

Insects, Rodents, Wild birds
People
Hatchery
Equipment
Litter
Feed, Water

Biological barriers

Vaccines
Probiotics

Pharmacological controls

Antibiotics
Coccidiostats

Physical barriers
Farm location

geographical isolation
local concentration of poultry farms away from concentration of wild birds

Physical barriers
Controlled access

security fence and gate
sign indicating restricted entry
vehicles sanitize upon facility entry & exit

Physical barriers
Restrict entry to facilities

farm and hatchery staff
health monitoring team and vets farm managers
company tradesmen
approved visitors
Advanced approval
Only one farm / hatchery visit per day
No contact with poultry / livestock for \> 72h Visitor log book
Turn away any visitor failing to meet criteria

Physical barriers
Internal barriers-building

all door kept locked
shower in / shower out facility footbaths at point of entry anteroom design

Physical barriers
Internal barriers - personal

coveralls, boots, hairnets, gloves
on farm only cloths
supply to all visitors frequent hand washing

Physical barriers
Internal barriers - pest prevention

build rodent / wild bird-proof houses eliminate harborage areas
disposal of mortality and feed spills house management and sanitation inspection, baiting, and trapping

Biological barriers
Vaccines

not 100% protection
mistakes in storage / administration changes in challenges (variants, strains) new or emerging diseases immunosuppressive effects of vaccine vaccine stress
reduced uniformity

Biological barriers
Probiotics

Competive inhibition

Pharmacological controls

• Antibiotics
• Coccidiostats
• Use limited by:
resistance patterns
risks of residues
consumer concerns
legislation

Feed

• Continual input
• Feed
Heat treatment
Dedicated enclosed production area and outloading area
Dedicated transport vehicles and drivers
Vehicle hygiene program

Water

Drinking systems must be clean Chlorine, UV, probiotics

Cleaning

Sanitize all equipment, surfaces, and supplies to reduce pathogens
• Vehicle hygiene Clean
Dedicated use
• Cleanout
Equipment removal
Litter removal
• Washing-pressure washing
• Disinfection - approved disinfectants

Monitor

Monitoring
Production
Processing plant
Health status (serology, bacteriology, virology)
Inputs (feed, water, staff)

Plumage
3 types of feathers

Down Feathers (Plumules)
Contour Feathers
Filoplumes

Oral cavity

Choana cleft
Larynx
Glottis

Keratinized anterior tongue
Lingual Papillae
Soft posterior tongue (with pores for lingual salivary glands)

Skeletal muscles

Breast
Thigh
Leg
Wing

Breast muscle

Pectoralis major & minor

Thigh muscle

iliotibialis
sartorius
longissimus

Leg muscle

gastrocnemius
flexor perforans
peroneus

Wing muscle

biceps brachii
triceps brachii
number of forearm muscles

Order of digestive system

Crop
Proventriculus
Ventriculus
Small intestine
Ceca
Large intestine (rectum)
Cloaca

Kidneys

Cavity on the ventral surface of the synsacrum Elongated, compressed dorsal-ventrally
Three superficial divisions or lobes

Male reproductive system

Testes situated in abdomen near kidneys
spermatogenesis occurs at a higher
temperature

Female reproductive system

Two distinct sections: ovary, oviduct
Single left ovary and its oviduct
Right ovary present embryonically, but regresses

Bleaching

Caratinoids
Xanthophyll

Sign that a hen is in production

Areas that bleach

Eye ring
Earlobe
Beak
Vent
Legs

Signs a hen is in production
Spread between pubic bones

2 finger width between pubic bones
3 finger width between keel bone and pubic bone

Vent
Signs a hen is in production

Bleached
Oval shape
Moist & pliable
(Want free of feces, blood etc)

Signs a hen is NOT in production

Comb regression
Yellow comb
Yellow areas: eye ring, earlobe, beak

Ideal layer qualities
Skeletal structure

Straight shanks, toes, and eel bone
Good spread between pubic bones, and between pubic bone and keel bone

Ideal layer qualities
Body weight

3.7 +- 0.4 lbs

External egg quality methods

Visually grading
Peak force
Eggshell thickness
-ultrasound
-micrometer

Things to look for when egg grading

Stains
Adhering foreign material
shell shape
shell texture
body checks
shell thickness

Non-gradable eggs

Check
dented check
dirt
leaker

Which 3 eggs can be sold directly to the consumer?

Checks, dented checks, dirt

AA/A grade
external shell grade

Clean or small stain
Regular shape
Uniform thickness of shell
Body check, smooth

B grade
external shell grade

Large prominent stain
Misshapen
Thinspots in body check
Ridges

Albumen height

Manually tripod micrometer
Egg analyzer

Yolk color test

Yolk color fan
Egg analyzer

A/AA
internal shell grading

dime sized air cell
yolk firm & outlined
white free from defects

B grade
internal shell grading

quarter sized air cell
yolk flattened
bloodspots, meat spots, cloudy yolk

Loss

Blood spots, meat spots, cloudy yolk

What percent of production costs does feed make up?

60-75%

Objective of nutrition & feeding

Maximize net income (minimize feed costs)
• Maximize animal performance / production
• Minimize impact on environment (nitrogen, phosphorous, etc.)
• Produce products with certain traits (uniformity, quality, fatty acid profile, organic, etc.)
• Establish a production system that emphasizes animal well being

Components of the diet that can be utilized by an animal

1) to provide raw materials for the synthesis of body tissue (maintain structure)
2) as a source of energy
3) as part of its metabolic machinery

Essential

- Cannot be synthesized by the animal, or
- Rate of synthesize is insufficient to meet
metabolic demands

Conditionally essential

- essential under specific dietary situations - cystine (methionine)

10 essential amino acids

Methionine
Lysine
Threonine Tryptophan Isoleucine
Phenylalanine Histidine Arginine Leucine Valine

How many a.a. total?

22

Phytic acid

• Forms insoluble complex with P (phytate-P)
• Principle storage form of P in many plants Corn germ, 90% of P is bound in phytate-P
• Reduced absorption
• Phytase

Ideally - what should you feed everyday?

Different feed everyday

How many feeds are fed to save money?

3-5
Prevent large step downs in nutrient density

TSAA

total sulfur amino acids
methionine & cystine

Factors affecting feed acceptability

Cost
Availability
Palatability
Nutrient content and availability Presence of toxins / nutrient inhibitors Handling / milling properties

Diet presentation

Mash
crumble
pellet

What should the bulk of the diet be?

Cereal grains

Feed
Corn

• High in carbohydrate (mostly digestible starch)
• AME 3390 kcal/kg AF (1540 kcal/lb AF)
• Relatively high oil content (crude fat 3.9%AF) Excellent source of linoleic acid
• Crude protein content 7.8 (8.5)% AF Not well balance in AA content
Limited in Met, Lys, Thr, Iso, Try
Low in crude fiber 1.9%AF
High level of phosphorus (bound to phytate)
Total 0.23 % AF
Potential mycotoxin contamination Skin/leg color

Energy feed
Sorghum, Milo

AME 3310kcal/kgAF(1500kcal/lbAF) • Crude protein content 11% AF
Variable 7-13 % AF • Crude fat 2.8% AF
Low in crude fiber 2% AF
• May content high tannin levels
• Max Constraints Tannin content
Pellet durability

Energy feed
Wheat

Energy content can vary
•AME 3170kcal/kgAF(1438kcal/lbAF)
• Crude protein content 13.5 % AF Variable 12.2-17.4 % AF
AA profile better than most cereal grains Deficient in Met, Lys
• Crudefat1.9%AF
• Low in crude fiber 3%AF
Soluble carbohydrate
Change viscosity of intestinal contents requires xylanase
• Widely used in Western Canada, Australia, UK
• Max Constraints Beak impaction
Wetter compacted litter (turkeys)

Energy feed
Barley

AME2750kcal/kgAF(1247kcal/lbAF) • Crude protein content 11.5% AF
Higher Lys, Met, Try content than corn Crude fat 1.9%AF
Crude fiber 5-6%AF
Non-starch polysaccharide, β-Glucans Increase viscosity of intestinal contents β-Glucanase
• Max Constraints
Wet litter due to fiber and β-Glucan content

Supplemental Energy Ingredients

Poultry grease(fat)
• White grease, animal fat, tallow
• Restaurantgrease(wastefryingoil)
• Vegetable oil (corn,canola,palm, soybean,etc.) Animal/Vegetableoilblend
• ME: 7100-12700 kcal/kg (3220-5760 kcal/lb)

Ethanol production

Competition for use of corn in feed
Decreased availability Residual DDGS
Reduced energy value Poor protein quality

Biodiesel production

Decreased availability of inedible fats
Glycerine byproduct has energy value similar to corn but much less energy than do fats and oils

High protein feed

More expensive
AA balance important
Typically feeds of animal origin have a better amino acid profile that feeds of plant sources

How is a better AA balance achieved?

Blending protein sources Supplementing synthetic amino acids (Reduces dietary CP and N excretion)

Soybean meal
High protein feed
Plant sources

Fat-extracted soybeans, ground
• Crude protein content 45.6 % Well balanced AA profile
Low in Met, Cys
• AME2460kcal/kg(1116kcal/lb) • Crude fat 1.6%
• Crude fiber 3.0 %
High phytate content
• Trypsin inhibitor - roasted

Canola meal
High protein feed
Plant sources

Crude protein content 38.0 % Good AA profile
Less Lys, but more Met than in SBM • AME2110kcal/kg(957kcal/lb)
• Crude fat 3.8%
• Crude fiber 11 %
• Low glucosinolate content
Goiter - enlarged thyroid

High Protein Feed - Plant sources
Cottonseed meal

Grounded dehulled fat extracted cottonseed CP 36-41 %
Gossypol - inhibits dehydrogenase enzymes

High Protein Feed - Plant sources
Peanut meal

Grounded dehulled fat extracted peanut kernels CP 40-50 %
Mold contamination\- - aflatoxin

High Protein Feed - Plant sources
Sunflower meal

Grounded dehulled fat extracted sunflower seeds CP 36-41 %

High Protein Feed - Animal proteins
Fish meal

Dried/ground fish and fish by-products •Approximately 60% protein
• High AA quality
• Constraints
High cost tends to limit its usage May impart a "fishy" flavor
Thiaminase

High Protein Feed - Animal proteins
Meat & bone meal

Produced by cooking animal tissues and bones under steam pressure and then grinding them
• 50-60% protein
• High quality, well balance AA profile
• Constraints Variability in Ca:P

High Protein Feed - Animal proteins
Poultry by-product meal

Produced by rendering clean poultry carcass parts and grinding the product into a meal
• High quality, well balance AA profile
• Constraints
Concerns with recycling in integrated operations rancidity

Why does the chicken turn yellow when not in production?

the carotin from its diet is staying within the body versus being deposited into the yolk. Since there are no eggs being laid there are no yolks leaving the body so all the carotin or xanthophyll stays inside leading to the yellowing.

High Protein Feed - Animal proteins
Feather meal

High CP content
Low quality AA profile

Supplemental ingredients
Synthetic amino acid supplements

Met, Lys, Thr, Try
Provides a more balanced protein Reduces CP in the diet
Reduces nitrogen excretion

Vitamin premix
fat soluble

Vitamins A, D3, E, K

Vitamin premix
Water soluble

B12 (Cobalamin), Biotin, Choline, Folacin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Pyridoxine, Vitamin C

Vitamin premix
Trace mineral premix

Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, Zn Note: I (Iodized salt)

Mineral

Ca, P (non-phytate P)
• Electrolytes: Na, K, Cl

Yellow corn diet percent

65

soybean meal percent

25

animal protein source percent

5

fat supplement percent

3.25

Feed additives
Coccidiostats

Antibiotics
-growth promotion (new USDA regulations) disease control
Enzyme
-Improve digestibility
Breakdown of anti-nutrients Improved performance

Enzyme
Phytase

Breaks down physic acid present in feed ingredients of plant origin
corn, DDGS, soybean meal
Increases amount of P digested
Reduces P needs in the diet
• Reduce P excretion
• P is the 3rd most expensive nutrient in the feed
• About80-85%of US broiler diets use phytase

Enzymes
Carbohydrases

Breaks down non-starch polysaccharides
xylanase, galactase, mannanase
• Different combinations of enzymes can be used depends on the substrate(s)

Enzymes
Proteases

Breaks down complex storage proteins, anti- nutritional factors (trypsin inhibitors), and lectins (sugar binding proteins)

Nitrogen management
Amino acid

Formulate on AA not CP
Utilize the "true AA digestibility" of feeds
Ideal protein → provides essential AAs in their proper proportion
Supplement with limiting AAs (Met, Lys)

Nitrogen management key points

Amino acid
Phase feeding
Enzymes
Avoid anti nutritional factors