Download Litter Management is Flock Health Management

Litter Management is Flock
Health Management
AQUINAC MEETING
November 16, 2016
Gary Hall
Commercial Turkey Housing
Range Bronze Turkeys 1940’s
Progress
Transition between
porch and pole
house 1945
Early Years of Turkey Processing
Bird on right
fed improved
diet
1950
Photos circa 1930, 1947
Progress
Confinement
Housing Barns 1975
Curtain Sided
Barns 1985
Solid Sided Tunnel Barn 2016
Today’s Turkey
Genetic Progress in Turkeys
98 days for 11 kg
turkey
Today
FCR 2,13:1
196 days for 11 kg
turkey
Mortality up to 112 days
1960
5.1%
FCR 4,2:1
Mortality up to 112 days
6.8%
Source: Dr. K. Krueger, 2010
Litter moisture
Litter is basically a sponge…
A sponge has limited moisture holding capacity
Birds are constantly adding moisture to the sponge…
If we don’t ventilate properly, the sponge will become
saturated and wet – CAKED LITTER
=
Today … minimum ventilation
Czarick, 2008
• Humidity levels maintained < 60-65%
• Controlling humidity = controlling
ammonia and carbon gases
Observe, take time to notice the little things.
Temperature and humidity
Must stop unwanted air flow…
www.poultryhouse.com
85º
75º
82º
78º
Gases : Affect Bird Behavior
• Early poult mortality (roundheart, starve-outs) increased when :
- Carbon Dioxide Greater than 2,500 ppm
- Carbon Monoxide
Greater than 20 ppm
• Inactive poults :
- affects conversion of glycogen to glucose
- can lead to poor gut health
POOR WEIGHT
GAINS
High Carbon Dioxide: what to look for
•
•
•
•
Litter tacky, glasses fog up, light headed
Air feels stale and heavy, often too warm
Caused by inadequate ventilation
Footpad caking
Effects of Environment : Ammonia
1. As little as 10 ppm causes damage
Goal = 25 ppm. (Welfare guidelines)
2. Direct immunosuppression
3. destroys cilia in the windpipe allowing
more dust to enter the airsacs
Remember : Airsacs Connected to Bones
State of the Art in its day…
No matter the water type it has to be managed…
Drinker management
• Availability
• Stocking densities
• Height, pressure, move
• Sanitation
To much water depth…
LITTER QUALITY
• Move the drinkers on a regular basis to prevent the
accumulation of wet litter.
Wet Conditions Produce High levels of Bacteria Growth
and Disease…
pH Reduction
Controlling pH
Overall growth ranges of microorganisms:
Ideal pH Range
for
Pathogen
Reduction
0
Yeasts
Bacteria
Molds
2
4
7
9
Salmonella,
Clostridium,
Campylobacter
E. Coli
Ammonia producing
14
pH
Keep pH low to inhibit bacterial growth!
Bedding Material
• Bedding material typically used by the industry is
increasingly expensive and difficult to secure. As a
result, there are situations where inadequate
amounts of shavings are being placed in turkey
houses that routinely cleanout and the material is
often spread unevenly throughout the house.
Bedding Material
• Litter plays an important role in moisture
management within the turkey barn. It acts as a
sponge absorbing moisture and allowing for the
dilution of fecal material. The deeper the layer of
litter, the more moisture it can absorb before the
surface of the material becomes saturated.
• Litter must not only be able to absorb moisture but
it should also have a reasonable drying time to get
rid of that moisture via evaporation.
Bedding Material
• With regards to moisture absorption and drying time, not
all bedding materials are created equal.
• Ground door filler and mortar sand has better FPD scores
than birds raised on pine shavings, bark, chipped pine,
ground hardwood pallets, chopped straw, or cotton- gin
trash.
• It was concluded that the moisture absorption capacity of
the ground door filler and the mortar sand’s ability to
release moisture rapidly was superior to the other
materials and contributed to better foot pads.
• Ultimately bedding material use depends on cost and
availability, but when possible, materials with smaller
particle sizes should be used as they have been shown to
produce cleaner foot pads.
Which kind of litter?
Different Types of Litter
Litter
Density
Absorption
Straw
100 kg/m3
3 to 4 times
Small Straw
80 à 100 kg/m3
3 times
Shavings
100 kg/m3
4.5 times
Rice Hauls
70 kg/m3
1.5 times
Corn-based
360-460 kg/m3
1.5 times
Differents Types of Litter
Differents Types of Litter
Pros
Cons
Straw
Availability
Bio-security
Footpad Dermatites
Shavings
Sub-product
Bio-Security
Availability
Costs
« Pellets »
Good absorption
Similar to the feed pellet
Rice Hauls
Good mix with Shavings
Availability
Dusty
Cost
Cereals pods
Sub-product
No « donuts »
Bio-security
Similar to the feed pellet.
Corn-based
Sub-product
No dust
Cost
Availability
No litter
Cheap
Welfare (dermatitis)
Litter amendments
Products typically used:
• PLT
• Poultry Guard
• AL Clear+
• Klasp
Action of amendments:
• Ammonia
• pH
• moisture
• microbes in litter including Salmonella
Westerman, Shah, Parsons. NC State Univ. 2006
Litter treatments are most effective when minimum
ventilation is managed properly. Poor ventilation will
rapidly exhaust the litter treatment.
Auburn Univ., Newsletter,, No. 14, Nov 2001
Litter Management in Turkey Production
Litter management
Top dressing
Tilling
Remove cake
Brooder litter Management…
Proper Bird Density
• Bird density throughout the house is also a factor
involved with litter moisture.
• The sudden onset of poor litter conditions associated
with higher bird densities is considered to be the
biggest influence on the development of FPD. Litter
conditions deteriorate rapidly as litter moisture
increases with increased bird density.
Proper Bird Density
• One way to combat this problem is to properly utilize
migration fences year round, even in cold weather
months. Migration fences put in place after birds are
distributed evenly throughout the length of the house
will allow for better litter management and
temperature regulation.
Controlling Humidity Levels
• Controlling the relative humidity in Turkey
Barns is essential to keeping floors drier.
• FPD lesions have been found more frequently
during cold weather than in warm weather
and footpad condition has a high correlation
with house relative humidity. A 28% increase
in the incidence of hock burns in winter when
compared to summer. These seasonal effects
are attributed to an increase in relative
humidity due to decreased ventilation rates.
Controlling Humidity Levels
• This is typically observed in cold weather which is
associated with reduced ventilation rates due to
low temperatures and increased heating costs.
• Attic inlets are one management option available
to producers to increase ventilation rates without
increasing heating costs.
Footpad lesion comparison – 6 weeks of age
R.K. Mayne, P.M. Hocking, R.W. Else, 2006
Lesions occur during brood
and carry to the finish period
Importance of reducing footpad lesions
1. By 14 weeks of age, significant footpad lesions and
weight differences between dry and wet litter
2. Animal welfare issue
Dr. Jesse Grimes
NCSU 2014
FPD Scoring
0 -Footpad skin with no lesion
1 -Lesion with diameter ≤1.3 cm
2 -Lesion with diameter >1.3 and ≤1.6 cm
3 -Lesion with diameter >1.6 and ≤1.9 cm
4 -Lesion with diameter >1.9 and ≤2.2 cm
5 -Lesion with diameter >2.2 and ≤2.5 cm
6 -Lesion ≤2.5 cm of diameter; all footpad area is
affected
7 -All footpad and toes severely affected with lesions
Dr. Jesse Grimes NCSU 2014
Breast blisters (1)
Breast blisters (2)
Nutrients
Ammonia
Bacteria
Breast Blisters (3)
Reminder: Commercials have a high growth rate with a ‘low’ feathering
on the breast which promote the onset of blisters.
How to prevent:
- Diet composition (Amino Acids) to promote growth AND feathering
- No wet litter or hard litter
- High level of activity
- Control the birds density
Leg Troubles (not infectious)
A lot of possible origins:
- Nutrition (ex: Deficiency in vit B2)
- Growth rate control.
- Asymmtry in breast development
- Foodpad dermatitis (score 2 or higher)
- Litter not flat enough
Litter composting can be a great tool for
pathogen reduction…
Proper litter management is key for good
flock health…
Summary:
Effective litter management be accomplished by
considering:
•
•
•
•
Ventilation – controlling the environment and humidity
Drinker management – height, pressure, moving
Litter management - rebedding, tilling or removing cake
Litter amendments - reduce pH, lower bacterial, moisture
and ammonia levels
Keep it simple!
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ??
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