Category: Blogs

Trace minerals are the minerals present in living tissues in very small amounts. Some of them are known to be nutritionally essential, other may be essential. Trace minerals are needed in very low quantity, yet they play large role in enzymatic reactions, immune function, bone development, reproductive health and defense mechanism. Despite their low inclusion…

Hen Reproductive Health: What Every Poultry Keeper Should Know Reproductive health is at the heart of every productive hen. Whether you’re raising chickens for eggs or breeding, understanding how a hen’s reproductive system works and how to keep healthy is essential. When hens are healthy, they lay consistently, produce high-quality eggs, and avoid serious reproductive…

Biosecurity is defined as set of sanitary and preventive measures that are applied to prevent or exist infection causing agents. It includes physical, procedural, and hygiene practices to control diseases. There are large number of infectious diseases whose prevention and control measures are related to biosecurity, like avian influenza, salmonellosis, marek’s diseases. ESSENTIAL BIOSECURITY PRACTICES:…

In Poultry farming, the most effective tool for survival and profitability is vaccination. Either one is managing a small backyard setup or large commercial, vaccinating your flock is very important for preventing disease outbreaks, reducing mortality, and consistent production. Vaccination: Vaccination is a process of administering a vaccine to stimulate bird’s immune system and produce…

Heat stress occurs when temperature of bird body increases too high and affects bird’s growth, production and overall health. Heat stress affects birds in the following ways: NUTRITIONAL & SUPPLEMENT STRATEGIES: 1. Electrolyte supplementation: Helps to retain water at cellular level and balances osmotic pressure preventing fluid loss from tissues due to heat stress. 2. Vitamin support: It acts…

Necrotic enteritis is a severe intestinal disease in poultry. This most commonly affects age group of 2-6 weeks. It’s caused by Clostridium perfringens type A and C. Clostridium perfringens is a gram-positive, spore forming anaerobic bacterium. It produces necrotizing toxins, which damages the intestinal lining. CLINICAL FORMS: PREVENTION AND CONTROL STRATEGIES: 1. FEED QUALITY: Avoid feeds…

Immunity is the ability of body to defend itself against diseases causing organisms. Body’s defense mechanism against harmful substances and microorganisms is called as immune response. The immune response in poultry involves the thymus, spleen, bursa of Fabricius, and other organs. Poultry immunity is comprised of both innate (non- specific) and adaptive (specific) immune system.…

Coccidiosis is a protozoal parasite disease, that destroys lining of chicken’s intestine. Chickens become infected with coccidiosis by ingesting oocysts that are shed in the feces of infected birds. The oocysts can survive in the environment for several months, and they are most infective when they are sporulated. Sporulation occurs when the oocysts mature in…

Mycotoxins are the toxic compounds that are produced by different type of fungi. These can contaminate feed and other materials of poultry production. Mycotoxins bind to cell through adsorptions to cell surfaces, chemical modifications and disruptions of cell functions. Common mycotoxins in poultry: • Aflatoxins • Ochratoxins • Fumonisins • Trichothecenes • Zearalenone Different sources of mycotoxin: 1. Contaminated feed…

Gut or gastrointestinal tract starts from beak and ends in the cloaca. This plays an important role in food digestion, immune function and nutrient absorption. An ecosystem of microorganisms, which includes bacteria, fungi and protozoa is always present in their gut. This is called as gut microbiome. Digestion and overall health will be balanced, when…