3 Types of meat chickens
- Rock Cornish Game Hen
- Broiler - used by KFC and others
- Roasters
Methods of heat loss
- Sensible (direct)
Conduction
Convection - movement of air over something hot
Radiation - Insensible
Evaporative - Panting
What affect does Relative Humidity have on panting
If too high, panting will not solve the problem
5 thermoregulation methods
- Behavior
- Ptiloerection - fluffed up to maintain body heat
- Vasomotion
- Shivering
- Panting
Best monitoring system of barn temperature
Bird Behavior
Whole room heating vs localized heat soruces
- Whole Room
Same temp everywhere - Heat sources
Birds have choice
4 sources of moisture
Poultry Faeces
Respiratory evaporation
Incoming air
Spillage
Major problem with low humidity
Poor feathering and growth which leads to increased scratches and therefore increased skin infections
As well as increased dust
What causes low humidity
Excessive ventilation
Major gas in housing
Ammonia
Sources of gas
- Anaerobic degradation of manure organics
- Animal Resp
- Fuel burning heaters
What is the tolerance level of ammonia?
25ppm
4 adverse affects of high ammonia levels
- Increased susceptibility to resp disease
- Increased incidence of breast blister, damage (burnt) feet
- Keratoconjunctivitis
- Decreased performance
4 factors which influence space requirement
- Type of bird - mating need more than growers
- Management factors - stress levels
- Quality of management
- Other environmental factors -hot vs cold environment
What is linear additivity of concurrent stressors?
More stressors = greater health problems
5 effects of inadequate space
- Decreased Performance
- Reduced uniformity
- Increased mortality
- Increased carcass defects
- Increased condemnations at processing
Light manipulations and there influence on bird beavhior
- Increased activity - bright
- Reduce canabilism - dark
- Reduce feed wastage - dark
- Decrease bruising - dark
- Improve feed efficiency - dark
Light recommendations for early brooding?
more than 20 Lux
Light recommendation for later brooding and rearing
5 lux
3 potential negative aspects of dark exposure
- Reduced growth in short grow out period
- More difficult to handle at marketing
- Reduced breast meat yield
Recomended light:dark?
18 hrs light:6hrs dark
Where do we get greatest amount of energy for feed?
Corn and wheat
Why is fat added to energy feed?
Little bit of energy
Increase palatability
Decreases dust
Where do we most of protein for feed?
Soy bean and canola meal
