Prevention in small-scale poultry farming

The breeder’s goal should be to achieve and maintain the maximum health of the animals being kept. Healthy and high-quality animals produce high-quality eggs and other nutritionally rich foods suitable for our diet. Another pleasure is the sight of healthy animals that can present themselves well to the breeder.

Clean Environment as the Foundation

The most important step is maintaining a sufficient level of environmental cleanliness. Environmental hygiene, together with proper nutrition and housing, represents one of the three essential pillars of successful breeding. Breeders should prevent unnecessary accumulation of droppings in areas where the animals move around. Ideally, cleaning of the housing facilities should be carried out at regular intervals.

Regular Mechanical Cleaning

Basic procedures should include thorough mechanical cleaning of the interior equipment of the henhouse, such as dropping boards, perimeter walls, perches, and feeders. All dried manure and feed residues must be removed. It is also important to sweep away cobwebs where dust accumulates.

After mechanical cleaning, it is advisable to carry out disinfection. This intervention aims to reduce the number of pathogens in the henhouse. Suitable options include treatment with a bleach solution, slaked lime, or other products designed for this purpose. These substances should be applied when the poultry is not present in the house, as the chemicals and their fumes may be toxic to birds. Before application, it is essential to carefully read the instructions provided with the product.

Annual Care of the Run

Most of us keep animals in a limited space for several years. Therefore, it is advisable to clean and refresh the run every year. The simplest method is to dig over the ground and reseed it with grass or cereals. Another option is liming. The run can also be divided into several sections, leaving one part unused for a period of time to allow the environment to recover through the effects of weather conditions such as sunlight or frost.

Ensuring Suitable Microclimatic Conditions

Microclimatic conditions greatly influence the health of animals. These include drafts or high relative humidity, which is related to the quality of ventilation in the henhouse. Proper ventilation can be ensured by installing a roof vent or using another structural solution to remove excess moisture from the space.

It is completely unsuitable to house waterfowl and gallinaceous poultry together in one building. Waterfowl produce significant moisture, which is particularly problematic during winter months when temperatures fall below freezing, as it may lead to frostbite of chicken combs.

Parasite Prevention

It is important to check the animals regularly for signs of parasite infestation. Prevention of introducing parasites into the flock is carried out by applying insecticidal preparations preventively around the cloaca and under the wings immediately after bringing birds home from exhibitions or whenever introducing a new individual. It is also advisable to spray these preparations during the regular replacement of straw in laying nests.

An alternative method is to place walnut leaves or tansy in the nests, as they contain aromatic substances that repel external parasites.

A dust bath is essential for gallinaceous poultry. This is an area with sand that helps birds rid themselves of ectoparasites. Hens can dust-bathe as needed, performing mechanical cleaning that can be described as a “dry shower.”

Quarantine

Another important step every breeder should follow is quarantining newly purchased animals, and ideally also birds that have been exhibited at shows. The quarantine area should be separated from the rest of the flock. Feeding the birds in quarantine should ideally be done at the end of the feeding routine to prevent the breeder’s activities from potentially spreading infection to other animals. Quarantine should last 4–7 weeks, depending on the health status of the birds.

Quarantine is also the place where birds from one’s own flock showing signs of illness should be placed for further observation. By separating suspicious animals in time, it is possible—depending on the type of disease—to prevent an outbreak throughout the entire flock.

Conclusion

Proper prevention in breeding leads to achieving and maintaining good animal health. By following the above principles, breeders can save considerable costs associated with treating animals after a disease outbreak occurs.