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 mainly on increased respiration to release heat. When the temperature exceeds 30°C during hot weather, heat stress is likely to occur, which can significantly affect growth, development, and overall production performance.
To prevent heat stress, it's essential to implement cooling measures during summer. This includes opening windows for ventilation, spraying cool water, constructing shaded areas, and planting vines around the farm to reduce heat reflection from concrete surfaces. Adding vitamin C (0.04% in feed or 0.4% sodium bicarbonate) and providing drinking water with 0.01–0.02% vitamin C can also help alleviate stress.
Poultry do not have teeth, a limited number of taste buds, and 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 has strong muscles for grinding food—especially in carnivorous birds, where the stomach is less developed.
In terms of digestion, bitter stomachic drugs like gentian or hibiscus are ineffective. If digestion is poor, garlic or acetic acid-based remedies may be more effective. For gastrointestinal infections, antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamycin, and kanamycin are poorly absorbed and should be avoided. Instead, oxytetracycline or doxycycline can be used for oral treatment, with doxycycline being the most easily absorbed and long-acting option.
Poultry feed should be easy to digest and absorb to minimize waste. Adding small amounts of gravel or crushed shells to the feed helps the gizzard grind food better, improving nutrient absorption. In intensive farming, feed is often enriched with higher concentrations of nutrients, and chicken manure is sometimes reused by mixing it into animal feeds for pigs, cattle, or even other poultry. However, proper processing is necessary—chicken feces must be cleaned, fermented, and free of debris before use to avoid disease transmission.
Poultry have nine air sacs connected to their lungs, making their skeletal structure lightweight and filled with air. This creates a semi-open internal environment, which makes them more susceptible 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 lead to diseases caused by fungi like Aspergillus, Mycoplasma, E. coli, or Pasteurella. Additionally, since birds lack a diaphragm, infections in the abdominal cavity can spread quickly and affect vital organs like the heart and lungs.
To prevent air sac infections, it's important to keep poultry houses clean and well-ventilated. Regular disinfection, cleaning, and humidity control help reduce dust and pathogens. Since birds cannot cough, antitussives are ineffective, but ammonium chloride can help expel mucus, and antibiotics can be used to control infections. Spraying medication directly into the air sacs is an effective method due to their large surface area.
Poultry lack a bladder and a separate urethra; instead, they have a single cloacal cavity where both feces and urine are excreted. This makes it difficult to distinguish between the two, especially in cases of "Lazi" (diarrhea), which could result from intestinal issues, kidney disease, or excessive water intake. Their kidneys are simple and sensitive, making them prone to damage from substances like certain antibiotics, particularly streptomycin and sulfonamides.
When diagnosing "Lazi," it's crucial to consider factors such as heat stress, moldy feed, high moisture content, parasites, or systemic infections. A careful differential diagnosis is necessary before making any conclusions. Most antibiotics are excreted through the kidneys, so their use should be limited to avoid renal damage.
Lastly, poultry are highly sensitive to sudden noises and the presence of predators like dogs, cats, rats, or snakes. These disturbances can cause panic, leading to reduced feed intake, soft-shelled eggs, weakened immunity, and lower productivity. To minimize stress, poultry farms should be located in quiet, secluded areas. Trees can be planted to reduce noise, and staff should wear white overalls and work carefully to avoid startling the flock. Rodent control is also essential, and no dogs should be kept on the premises.
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