MOULTING IN LAYERS

Some people just accept this situation and hope for an improvement, while others look upon it as a strange disease. This seasonal decline in egg production occurs when birds go into a condition known as the "moult".

Moulting is the process of shedding and renewing feathers. During the moult the reproductive physiology of the bird is allowed a complete rest from laying and the bird builds up its body reserves of nutrients.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BUYING DAY OLD CHICKS (DOC) OR POINT OF LAY (POL)

DOC & POL ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES:

The two approach are quite good but it depends mainly on the availability of fund for the project. Starting with point of lays (POL) requires a huge amount of cash which must be available before embarking on the project and as for day old chicks (DOC), it only requires little cash to start as the price to get a day old bird are lesser than that of point of lay. The price difference can be as much as 1800 Naira.
Also getting point of lay needs you to be very very careful. This is because some farmers can be untrustworthy, some of them may sell a bad breeds of birds to you, some also lie about the actual age of the birds and some don't give the birds the right medications and Vaccination Program because they are trying to save cost for a better profit. This might result to the birds not laying when they ought to start,  or they may have poor production. So buyers have to get the point of lay from credible Source. Same also goes for the day old chicks because you'll always find different products in the market, so getting your birds from a credible source is one of the key things for a successful farming.
In addition to this, there are lots of risk raising birds from day old in terms of mortality rate and this is the major reason why people run away from raising birds from day old, as there is less probability for mortality in point of lay.
So this are the careful considerations anyone will have to check before starting.

Feel free to get back to us for any comment or questions.

Source: Anu Oluwa farm.

CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE (CRD)

Introduction:

Infection with Mycoplasma gallisepticum is associated with slow onset, chronic respiratory disease in chickens, turkeys, game birds, pigeons and other wild birds. Ducks and geese can become infected when held with infected chickens. In turkeys it is most associated with severe sinusitis (see separate description in the turkey section). The condition occurs worldwide, though in some countries this infection is now rare in commercial poultry. In others it is actually increasing because of more birds in extensive production systems that expose them more to wild birds.

In adult birds, though infection rates are high, morbidity may be minimal and mortality varies.

The route of infection is via the conjunctiva or upper respiratory tract with an incubation period of 6-10 days.

Transmission may be transovarian, or by direct contact with birds, exudates, aerosols, airborne dust and feathers, and to a lesser extent fomites. Spread is slow between houses and pens suggesting that aerosols are not normally a major route of transmission.

PROLAPSE IN LAYERS

Prolapse in Layers

Prolapse in laying birds is the eversion of the oviduct and rectal organs through the vent to the extent that the organs don't retract. The condition invariably results in death even if the prolapse is discovered and the organs replaced in position.
Several management practices for use in the rearing stages of the pullet can reduce the incidence of prolapse. The two that possibly have the greatest influence are correct feeding and correct lighting.

VACCINE AND HOW TO VACCINATE YOUR BIRDS

A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and keep a record of it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters.

RICKET AND CAGE LAYERS FATIGUE

Rickets and cage layer fatigue are nutritional diseases of chickens, turkeys and ducks that results in soft bones. Often the leg bones become bowed and hamper the bird’s ability to stand and walk. The term ‘rickets’ is generally used to describe the condition in young poultry, while ‘osteomalacia’ is often the term used for the disease in adult birds. Caged layer fatigue is a related condition observed in caged laying hens, usually around peak egg production, that may also be associated with osteoporosis, a condition causing brittle bones as a result of reduced bone density.

NEWCASTLE DISEASE (NDV)

Newcastle disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects many species of domestic and wild birds to varying degrees. Domestic fowl, turkeys, pigeons and parrots are most susceptible while a mild form of the disease affects ducks, geese, pheasants, quail and guinea fowl. The disease can result in digestive, respiratory and/or nervous clinical signs, which range from a mild, almost inapparent respiratory disease to very severe depression, drop in egg production, increased respiration, profuse diarrhoea followed by collapse, or long-term nervous signs (such as twisted necks), if the birds survive. Severe forms of the disease are highly fatal.

HEALTH MANAGEMENT IN POULTRY

The best fed and housed stock with the best genetic potential will not grow and produce efficiently if they become diseased or infested with parasites. Therefore good Poultry health management is an important component of poultry production. Infectious disease causing agents will spread through a flock very quickly because of the high stocking densities of commercially housed poultry.

INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE (IBD) OR GUMBORO

 Infectious bursal disease (IBD), also known as Gumboro, is a highly contagious viral infection that is found in chicken flocks in most countries.
The severity of the disease will depend on the age and breed of chicken and the virulence of the virus. Signs of the disease can include a rapid drop in feed and water consumption, mucoid (slimy) diarrhoea with soiled vent feathers, ruffled feathers, listless chicks with unsteady gait or sitting in hunched position, picking at own vent and sleeping with beak touching the floor.

EGG DROP SYNDROME (EDS)

Egg drop syndrome (EDS) is caused by a viral infection in laying hens. It is characterised by production of soft-shelled and shell-less eggs

in apparently healthy birds, and leads to a sudden drop (10-40%) in recorded egg production or a failure to achieve a normal peak in