Environment Flashcards
what is a homeotherms
- good ability to regulate body temperature
- fully developed by 7 to 21 days
what is a brooding period
early part of life, lots of light and higer temps to help locate food and rediate body temperature
what is an adult chickens body temp
41.9 C
what is an adult turkey body temp
41.2C
what is a sensible direct heat loss
- conduction = transfer of heat from molecule to molecule
- convection = involves the movement of air
- radiation = heat in the form of electromagnetic waves
how can you tell that a bird is overheating
- the use of conduction
- lean against wall to cool body temp
what is insensible heat loss
- evaporative - by panting, moisture out through breath
- in a hot/humid panting doesnt work
what is most important heat regulators in commercial settings
- convection
- conduction
- radiation
what are different thermoregulation methods
- behaviour = movement during hot/cold
- ptiloerection = feathers fluffed up to keep warm air in
- vasomotion = blood flowing into core and away from extremities (comb and feet loose colour)
- shivering
- ## panting
what is hypocapnia
deficiency of co2 in the blood leading to alkalosis
- could lead to dehydration, high blood pH, high body temp, nerve/muscle excitability
what is thermal polypnea
increased rate but decreased depth of respiration
where shoudl thermostats be located in a barn
- floor level with the birds
what bird behaviours can be witnessed
- huddling (individual and group) shivering, ptilo erection, panting and space distribution
why do we check chicks rectal temperature
- if chicks are chilled on truck barn temps need to increase to compinsate
- watch behaviour and adjust
what is the optimal laying temperature for laying hens
18.3-23 C
- to cold will drop egg production
how does temp effect laying hens
temp correlates to egg production and egg size and feed efficiency
what is common in brooding managment
- use of brooder guards and attraction lights
- incease number of feeders and waters
- distribution of feeders and waterers
- appropriate temperature and draft free
what are sources of moisture
- respiratory evaporation ( panting mostly in hot temperatures, can be dependent on bird size # and type of birds)
- poultry excreta ( 70-80% moisture) how much water is expected depends on how much fiber is digested
- in coming air - illness
- spillage - from drinkers
recommended humidity
- 55-70% in older birds
- could dehydrate younger birds
- keep low for older birds to keep litter dry
- dependent on watching birds - moister in air, cold or hot temps
what happens when the weather is cold
- reduced ventilation, damp litter, increase ammonia, condensation
- more energy to heat body and less growing
- crowding
what happens when its hot and there is high humidity
- panting doesnt work
- ammonia formation - feces (nitrogen) + bacteria + heat
what removes ammonia
ventilation
what happens with excess ventilation in low humidity
- dusty - poor ventilation
- poor feathering and growth (thermoregulation and skin protection)
what happened in early brooding in low humidity
- combination of winter brooding and weak chicks
- starve outs
- misting - humidifyers/ could get wet / litter gets too wet
what gases are present
- ammonia (NH3)
- hydrogen sulfide (H2S, fuel burning), carbon dioxide (respiration)
- carbon monoxide and methan
what are the sources for gases
- anaerobic degration og manure organics
- animal respiration
- fuel bruning heaters
what are the dangers of ammonia
- increased incidence of breast blisters, damaged feet ( foot pad dermatitis)
- eye damage, puss leaking, eyes shut
- can also effect respiration
how can you test for ammonia poisoning
- tube, colour compound will turn it into a different colour
what is pododermatitis
what are the causes
- foot pad lesions
- will not move to feeders and drinkers
- leads to lower productivity
1 litter moisture
2 ammonia
what can ammonia do to respiration
- burns the cilia off the trachea
- then it goes straight into the lungs
- increased susceptibility to respiratory disease
what happens at 10 ppm
10ppm : over several weeks the respiratory tract of turkeys will receive some damage and interfere with the birds ability to clear bacteria out of its lungs
what happens at 25 ppm
- damage to the lungs and airsacs within 48 hours
- bacteria and viruses can more easily invade lungs and airsacs
what happens at 50 ppm
- lung and airsac damage in 1-2 weeks
- delayed sexual maturity (10 weeks )
- egg numbers will decline in 1 month or less
what happens at 100 ppm
- feed intake and body weight will decline significantly over the course of the month
- decrease shell thickness and egg size ( breaks and doesnt go to market)
- increased mortality
according to the codes of practice what is the maximum ppm
at 25 they have to bring down immediatly
- can do so by increasing ventilation
do different litter types have different impacts
yes
- wood is good for moisture
- straw - not as good
what are other gases found
- hydrogen sulfide ( very dangerous, colorless, smells like rotten eggs, heavier then air)
- carbon dioxide - respiration
- carbon monoxide - fuel burning heaters
- methane
what causes dust
- feed = mash more then pellets
- litter = shavings vs straw
- feathers and dander (skin scales) = dependent on birds
what bird contributing factors cause dust
- flight ability = dust goes everywhere
- beahviours (dust bathing and foraging) = puffs air up , scratching moves litter and creates lots of dust
how can you control dust
- ventilation
- misting - very fine water - but not too much or it creates foot pad lesions
what detrimental effects can dust create
- carrier of gases ( ammonia) = burns cilia of the throat and drips it into the lungs
- vector of microbes
direct damage to the lung and respiratory track
what different space requirements are their
- floor
- feeder
- waterer
- head space
- heater space
what influences space factors
- type of birds (size)
- use of birds ( meat birds need more floor space then caged)
- environtmental factors ( temperature and season - more space required in the summer)
- quality of managment ( the better the barn the more birds)
- linear additivity of concurrent stressors ( the more stressors the worse productivity
effects of inadequate space
- decreased performance
- reduced uniformity
- increased mortality(reduced immune function)
- increased carcass defects
- increased condemnations at processing (meat stocks)
- decreased behavioural expressions
what are the 4 establishing space requirments
- economical
- biological
- affective state
- natural living
what is economical space requirement
- space required to achieve maximum economic return
- poor performance but still making money
what is biological space requirenment
- space required to achieve maximum productivity
- growth
- egg production
- health (foot pad lesions), mortality, body and feather condition
what is affective state requirement
- how someone or somethign feels
- prevention of suffering due to pain, fear and frustration as well as allowing birds to experience positive states
what is natural living space requirement
- not really used in commercial livestock
- allows birds to perform basic body movements and comfort behaviour as well as unrestricted opportunities for nesting dustbathing pecking and scratching
what should the spacing and height be of food and water
- spread throughout if they are long distances they wont go
height should be to the back of the bird
what are the different feeders
tube feeder - has built in scale
line feeder - connected to ogger that pulls food into the tube
what are the different drinkers
nipple - curious/ peck at it
bell drinker - causes spills and wet litter
a producer calls you and asks you to help her with an issue in her broiler barn. She has found some blind birds, and has heard from her vet that lung infections are showing up on necropsy.
- what is the primary cause ?
- what should you suggest to the producer?
check photos for answers
