To grow your animals in the most efficient way, it’s very important to maintain an adequate day-to-day management at your farm. First of all, an healthy environment is crucial to keep you animals healthy and together with that taking care of all the tools and equipment used in the farm is really critical to avoid any contamination between different animal groups. On top of this, you should also check your animal houses on daily basis to notice any abnormalities. All those things will give you the opportunity to intervene fast and to give your animals all the chances they need to becoming strong and healthy.
BUILDING ENVIRONMENT
Birds must always be placed in a clean, disinfected and dry building with
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An optimal temperature
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Good air quality: bringing fresh air in the building with an appropriate ventilation system
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Relative humidity between 60 and 80 %
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Not too dry because this can cause irritation to the lungs of the animals
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Not too wet because excessively damp air can cause condensation and will provide a climate which favors the growth of bacteria/fungi
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TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
All tools and equipment that are used to treat the animals in the poultry houses should be cleaned and disinfected always. Tools and equipment used in the poultry houses such as buckets and brooms for example should be used exclusively for a single building or section. This avoids contamination between the different flocks. All tools and equipment used by outsiders, should be disinfected, where possible. This definitely applies to anything which is going to come into contact with other animals, either directly or indirectly.
CHECKING THE ANIMALS
Recording = checking!
You should give the whole flock a thorough inspection at least once a day. A systematic inspection of this kind will ensure that any problems can be spotted sooner and dealt with.
Don’t forget to have a schedule for daily operations as an aid for yourself, your staff and any replacements. A clear communication between personnel is therefore really important.