Poultry are covered with feathers, which provide excellent insulation and help maintain body temperature. However, they lack sweat glands, so when temperatures rise, they rely on increased respiration to dissipate heat. When the ambient temperature exceeds 30°C during hot weather, poultry are prone to heat stress, which can significantly affect their growth, development, and overall production performance.
To mitigate heat stress, it's essential to implement cooling measures in summer. This includes opening windows for ventilation, misting the environment with water, constructing shaded areas, and planting climbing plants around the farm to reduce heat reflection from concrete surfaces and walls. Additionally, supplementing feed with vitamin C (0.04%) or sodium bicarbonate (0.4%) can be beneficial. Providing drinking water supplemented with 0.01–0.02% vitamin C also helps improve resilience to high temperatures.
Poultry do not have teeth and possess only a limited number of taste buds, resulting in a short digestive tract. For example, the chicken’s intestine is about five times its body length, while ducks and geese have intestines that are four to five times their body length. The digestive system is acidic, and the gizzard—especially in carnivorous birds—is well-developed to grind food.
In terms of treatment, bitter stomachic drugs like gentian or hibiscus are not effective. Instead, natural remedies such as garlic or acetic acid may be used if digestion is impaired. For gastrointestinal infections, certain antibiotics like streptomycin, gentamycin, and kanamycin are poorly absorbed and should be avoided. Oxytetracycline is suitable for oral treatment of gastrointestinal and systemic infections, while doxycycline is more easily absorbed and long-acting, making it ideal for use in drinking water.
Feed should be easy to digest to prevent waste. Adding small amounts of gravel or crushed shells to the diet helps the gizzard grind food more effectively, improving feed digestibility. In modern poultry farming, especially in intensive systems, feed is often formulated with higher nutrient concentrations. As a result, chicken manure is frequently recycled by mixing it into feeds for pigs, cattle, or even other poultry. However, it must be properly processed—removing debris, fermenting, and ensuring it is free from pathogens before reuse.
Poultry have nine air sacs connected to their lungs, which are linked to bones, making them "air-boned." This structure creates a semi-open internal environment, increasing susceptibility to microbial infections. Harmful gases like ammonia, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide, along with dust, feed particles, and feather fragments, can damage the air sacs and allow pathogens such as Aspergillus, mycoplasma, E. coli, and Pasteurella to enter the body and cause disease. Since poultry lack a diaphragm, the chest and abdominal cavities are connected, making it easier for abdominal infections to spread and affect vital organs like the heart and lungs.
To prevent these issues, poultry houses should be regularly cleaned and disinfected. Ventilation is key, and spraying disinfectants and keeping the environment moist helps reduce dust. Birds cannot cough, so antitussives are ineffective. Ammonium chloride can help expel mucus, while antibiotics are needed to control infections. Air sacs also aid in drug absorption, so aerosol treatments are an efficient method for respiratory diseases.
Poultry lack a bladder and a separate urethra; instead, they have a single cloacal cavity where both feces and urine are excreted. The rectum is very short, and water is absorbed before excretion, making it difficult to distinguish between feces and urine. This complicates diagnosing conditions like "lazi" (diarrhea), which could stem from intestinal issues, kidney disease, or excessive water intake. Poultry kidneys are simple in structure and have a low filtration capacity, making them sensitive to substances like drugs, which can lead to kidney damage.
When diagnosing "lazi," it's important to differentiate between causes such as heat stress, moldy feed, high moisture content, parasites, or infections. Avoiding drugs like streptomycin and sulfonamides is crucial, as they are primarily excreted through the kidneys and can cause harm.
Lastly, poultry are highly sensitive to noise and sudden movements. Loud sounds or the presence of animals like dogs, cats, rats, or snakes can trigger panic, leading to reduced feed intake, soft-shelled eggs, weakened immunity, and decreased productivity. To minimize stress, farms should be located away from urban areas, roads, and ports. Planting trees can also help reduce noise. Farmers should wear white clothing, avoid sudden actions, and manage daily tasks carefully. Rodent control is also critical, and no pets should be kept on-site.
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