The health of chicks is not affected by environmental conditions all the time, especially modern chicken production. Under conditions of full house feeding and high density, the diseases caused by environmental factors have become more prominent, mainly in the following aspects:
Low temperature
Low temperature hazard performance:
There was a very high mortality rate in the first week, especially on the third day. The fluffy chickens of the affected chickens are unkempt, crowded with each other, play with piles, and their wings hang down, causing squeaks and collapses. If the cold temperatures last longer, they can cause a large number of deaths. At the time of necropsy, there were no obvious gross lesions. Sometimes the hernia sac was empty, there was no yolk sac absorbed in the abdomen, the kidneys were pale, the lungs' edges were slightly red, and the bacteria was negative. The investigation and analysis of the environment can make a diagnosis.
The analysis of causes of chicks' low temperature environment:
(1) The outside temperature is too low, the insulation performance of the house is poor, and the heating capacity is weak (or power outage, flameout, air cut, etc.) at night;
(2) The thermometer fails;
(3) Improper position and height of the thermometer;
(4) There are thieves and drafts in the brooding room.
2. High temperature
The tolerance of chickens to high temperatures is largely affected by moisture and ventilation. Temporary high temperatures, chicks have a certain ability to adapt and adjust, but the prolonged high temperature environment, body temperature regulation mechanism can not resist, if more than a certain limit, the chick will die.
High-temperature victim chickens showed puffing, being away from heat, laziness, loss of appetite, increased drinking water, decreased or elevated body temperature, and continued death of chicks. Even if there is not a large number of deaths, due to high fever, it will affect the appetite of the chicks, cause hunger, stagnate growth and development, and induce other diseases.
Death of chickens caused by high temperatures, generally no obvious lesions, only visible gastrointestinal emptying, pulmonary congestion, congestion and edema.
Causes of chicks high temperature environment analysis:
(1) The outside air temperature is too high, the humidity inside the poultry house is too large, the ventilation performance is poor, and the chicks are dense;
(2) Due to a malfunction of the thermometer, or improper placement and height of the thermometer, excessive heating or uneven heat distribution may occur.
3. Hunger
There are many factors that affect the chick's intake and appetite, resulting in hunger and death.
The sick youngsters are thin, pale, weak or lethargic. The main lesion of the necropsy was emptiness of the hernia sac, gas or fluid in the intestine, shrinkage of the liver, gallbladder enlargement and paleness in the kidney, precipitation of urate, visceral gout and anal impaction. According to the on-site investigation and bacteriological examination can be confirmed.
Analysis of causes of hunger in chicks:
(1) Unfavorable environmental factors: such as excessive cold during brooding, overheating, excessive humidity, poor ventilation, noise, excessive light, and excessive chick density;
(2) The lack of water, or the shortage of supply trays and water trays, and improper placement (such as overcooling, overheating, or excessive distances);
(3) Poor quality of feed or drinking water (such as mildew or odor);
(4) Weak chicks or disease infections (such as Salmonella, E. coli, or coccidia).
4. Water shortage
The main manifestations of lack of water in chicks are lack of energy, loss of appetite, drooping wings, sluggishness, lethargy, sunken eyes, skin folds on hind legs, and collapse. The changes in necropsy were mainly dehydration and weight loss, empty sac and intestinal tract, liver shrinkage, lighter color, gallbladder enlargement, enlarged kidney, and precipitated urate.
Causes of water shortage in chicks:
(1) Insufficient water supply or continuous supply;
(2) There are too few drinking fountains, or places that are too cold, too hot, too far away, young chicks are inaccessible;
(3) poor palatability or smell of drinking water.
5. Hypoxia or carbon dioxide poisoning
The disease is more common in the cold winter. As the proportion of carbon dioxide is greater than air, it gathers on the ground. The method of checking for hypoxia and carbon dioxide accumulation is to light a candle 10 centimeters from the bottom of the cage. If the candle is not easy to ignite or extinguishes quickly, there may be hypoxia or carbon dioxide savings.
Environmental Causes of Hypoxia
(1) The climate is very cold. The brooding room is heated continuously and the doors and windows are closed. Especially when the electric heating plate or gas is used as a heat source, oxygen is exhausted.
(2) The brooding room is poorly ventilated, closed tightly, and the chicks are dense.
6. Ammonia
Feces, feed, and other organic matter in poultry houses can produce large amounts of ammonia after fermentation. A small amount of ammonia such as 10 ppm or less, although it smells of ammonia odor, does not seem to have much harm to the growth of chickens; when the concentration of ammonia exceeds 25 ppm, it can stimulate the eyes, causing conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers, and can make chicks easy Infection with respiratory diseases; reaching a concentration of 80ppm, can reduce the appetite of chickens, weight loss, and can induce a variety of diseases, resulting in batch deaths of chicks.
Analysis of environmental factors with excess ammonia:
(1) The brooding room is humid, dirty, and the manure is not cleaned frequently, so that the organic matter is decomposed and fermented to produce a large amount of ammonia; (2) The brooding room is poorly ventilated and the chickens are dense.
7. Carbon monoxide poisoning
All carbon-containing substances that burn in the absence of oxygen supply produce carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide poisoning of chicks can often be caused by burning coal in the brooding chamber during the winter or early spring. When the chimney is blocked, the smoke is turned back, or the exhaust pipe is broken, the connection is not tight, and the indoor ventilation is not smooth, resulting in carbon monoxide. Poisoning. Occasionally, breeders can unknowingly cause poisoning in the brooding room.
In the acute poisoning of carbon monoxide, the diseased chicks were uneasy or drowsy, drowsiness, and difficulty in breathing. The head stretched backwards, and phlegm and convulsions occurred before death. Sub-acute poisoning manifests as depressed spirit, reduced appetite, and fuzziness. There were no obvious lesions in the necropsy.
Once intoxicated, immediately transfer all chickens to fresh air and open the doors and windows of the house.