BIRD HEALTH
VS. GOOD PAWS!
'Dr. Michael Hulet
Associate Professor
Department Of
Poultry Science
Winter is well under way and
efforts to optimize ventilation and
minimize heat losses are meeting
head-on.
At this time of year, ventilation
rates are minimized to a level of
around 0.4 CFMs (cubic feet per
minute) per pound of bird. The
ventilation rate is contrasted with
the desire to maintain a tempera
ture consistent with the age of the
bird.
The equalizer in the system is
the heating source. While after a
certain age the grower usually
relies on bird-generated heat, the
younger birds must be supple
mented with propane gas
generated heat Therefore as the
outside temperature decreases, the
tendency for the grower is to tight
en up and reduce air flow in order
to decrease the cost of supplying
extra propane heat
If adequate heat is not supplied.
the older birds are given lower than
optimum temperatures and extra
feed is consumed by them to meet
the body’s increased need for heat;
or 2) the younger birds who still
can’t maintain body heat with
added feed consumption are cold
stressed.
Stressing the bird lowers
immunity and results in suscepti
bility to disease organisms present
in the environment However, if
adequate heat is not supplied and
desired temperature is maintained
by reducing ventilation rates, the
following can occur: increased
humidity, dust and ammonia can
also stress birds and make them
very susceptible to respiratory dis
ease and the possibility of secon
dary infections. Further, secondary
CONTACT:
disease organisms such as e. coli
can attack respiratory or digestive
systems and cause increased mor
tality (airsacculitis, coli septicemi
a, enteritis, etc.).
Ammonia is a particularly noxi
ous gas that is associated with the
bacterial breakdown of poultry lit
ter. Heat, water, and poultry litter
is combined with bacterial action
to produce ammonia.
Ammonia has been shown to
reduce both bird performance and
increase susceptibility to disease.
The effects of ammonia are parti
cularly critical for producers who
grow birds on built-up litter. For
chicks brooded on built-up litter,
all the circumstances of heat,
moisture, and manure are com
bined to increase ammonia con
centrations. Without increased
ventilation or use of litter additives
to reduce bacterial release of
ammonia, birds can be stunted,
blinded and left susceptible to dis
ease organisms. Levels of ammo
nia in the house can easily
approach 90 to 100 ppm on built
up litter unless action is taken to
eliminate the volatilization of
ammonia.
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An ammonia concentration of 5
ppm is the least detectable level by
smell for a human. Twenty-five
ppm is a compromise level;
between one which may damage
bird performance in some
instances, but economically a level
that can be practically tolerated. At
concentrations above SO ppm,
ammonia can cause reductions in
animal performance (weight and
feed conversion) and health.
The first 3 to 4 weeks of growth
for commercial poultry are thought
to be most critical in maintaining
levels of ammonia below 2S ppm.
Peoples* ability to detect ammonia
can be affected by colds, allergies,
or smoking.
Relatively inexpensive equip
ment is available to detect concent
rations of ammonia in the poultry
house and can be used by growers
to help “calibrate” their noses.
After 4 weeks of age, the optimal
temperature required for commer
cial poultry is around 68 to 70
degrees Fahrenheit and increased
ventilation rates can be more easily
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used at this time to reduce ammo
nia concentrations in the house.
Ventilation during wintertime is
also used to reduce moisture levels
in the litter. Low litter moisture to
reduce ammonia generation is
always stressed by ventilation
experts. The ability to reduce litter
moisture is based on maintaining a
differential between the outside
and the inside house temperature
that is. a 20-degree increase in
air temperature doubles its water
holding capacity.
Emphasis on proper ventilation
never seemed to be stressed to my
satisfaction, however, until the
market for chicken paws became
an economic reality. So whether
your desire is to increase perfor
mance (a less apparent economic
reason) or to increase production
of high quality, non-ammonia
burned chicken feet (paws),
adequate ventilation rates, desir
able temperature, and decreased
ammonia concentrations should be
maintained during the winter pro
duction of commercial poultry.
800-447-7436
MORTON
BUILDINGS
P.O. Box 399, Morton, tt, 61850
© 1994 Morton Buildings, Inc.