systems. Check body temperature, behaviour and feed intake. Body temperature should be around 40°C. Birds huddling to- gether are too cool, so incrementally increase house temper- ature, then re-check chicks’ behaviour. Birds moving away from each other may be too warm. Keeping water tempera- ture at 25°C or cooler is important. Although flushing is ex- pensive, flush water lines on the first day in hot climates. If necessary, add 10-15g more feed to chick paper 24-36 hours after the chicks’ arrival. Remove all chick paper after 4-5 days, or earlier if signs of mold appear. By seven days of age, a chick should have reached about 4.5 times its hatching weight. During the brooding phase, delicate manual adjustments to vents are required to manage ventilation. A 3-4 cm opening provides adequate ventilation, however, some vents may need to be closed to support optimum airflow and tempera- ture. Production climate should inform house ceiling design. In colder areas, a cathedral-style roof with a 35 or 45 degree angle generally supports air movement better. In hot regions a flat low ceiling is not a problem for brooding but helpful in moving air during the grow-out period.


Growth phase Adjust the height of feeders and drinkers to the broilers’ growth stage. It may be necessary to slow growth so a bird doesn’t become heavier than its skeleton can support. Dimmed lights or periods of darkness can slow growth. As it is stressful for broilers to have empty intestines, generally, two or three one-hour periods of darkness are best. If a bird is 3-4 days ahead of normal intake based on growth charts, take action to slow growth. Check droppings twice daily to assess digestion. Normal droppings are brown, well-digested and clay-like dry. Ceca droppings from the caecum are dark brown to black and sticky like thick paint. Foamy yellow droppings or visibly undigested nutrients suggest not all the protein is being digested. Water is essential to life and good digestion. Lowering water


pH results in a beneficial microbial balance in the pipeline, delivering a bacteriostatic effect in pathogenic bacteria when pH is lower than 4, while not harming good bacteria, such as Lactobacillus. Selko®-pH contains a blend of buffered organic acids that can reduce stomach pH. Lowering the stomach pH, primarily during the first two weeks of a bird’s life, supports protein digestion and broiler performance by improving mi- crobial balance in the water line and the bird. Adequate climate control is essential during grow-out. Broil- ers can overheat during the growth phase and spray cooling or pad cooling can help manage this challenge. Ventilators are important in all seasons but air flow is critical during warm periods and in conditions of high relative humidity. Check ventilators regularly to ensure they are dragging suffi- cient air over the birds. In cool climates, reducing heat or ven- tilation to cut costs may inadvertently result in gut health problems and the need for antimicrobial interventions.


Thinning phase Prior to final transport, flocks may be thinned by 25% or 30%. Open doors pose climate and bio-security challenges. Keep doors closed as much as possible to minimise in-house cli- mate change and keep out pathogens. Hang thick plastic sheets in doors to keep external heat out. Avoid additional people entering the house during this period and follow standard bio-security protocols regarding hygiene, clothing, etc. A production blueprint rooted in sound farm manage- ment practices will support consistent and healthy broiler flocks. The next issue of Poultry World (August edition) will discuss how specific health management can help to further reduce antimicrobials while maintaining performance. An in- tegrator in the Middle East, for example, was able to produce 98.8% of its birds without antimicrobials while decreasing its feed conversion ratio by more than 4%. As one producer says, “If you get birds started on the right path, the only thing required is to slow down their growth”.


▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 5, 2020 13


Good hygiene in the poultry house is essen- tial. Hot water and detergent will effectively clean walls, floors and equipment.


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