The past weeks and upcoming days are going to be very hot due to climate change. Our birds are not immune to the effects and suffer in different ways that include death due to heat stress, poor productivity, reduced feed intake and resultant loss of income.
Signs of heat stress include birds dying, birds lying with outstretched neck and legs, birds standing with outstretched wings, birds “panting”, low feed intake, low productivity, high water intake.
All classes of birds are affected. I’ll share a few tips for each type of bird where they’re specific but generally the tips apply to all the birds.
Layers
1. Feed the birds early morning and late afternoon when it is cooler. Split the day’s feed allocation.
2. Always ensure that the birds have adequate cold drinking water, use of ice blocks in the tank can help reduce the heat
3. Collect eggs as soon as they’re laid. The heat makes them go bad quickly, store in a cool place or dispatch to consumers immediately
4. Keep curtains open, ensure there is adequate ventilation, fresh air movement through the shed
5. Adhere to the recommended stocking density, over stocking will increase heat in the shed and increase chances of the bedding being difficult to maintain
6. Spray a fine mist on the birds during the hot portion of the day, avoid sudden movement in the shed.
Broilers
1. Feed during the cooler times of the day, early morning, late afternoon and the evening
2. Reduce dark hours if you are switching lights off. The reduction must be equivalent to the hours when the birds are not feeding well during day. These are what will be taken as the dark hours instead. Adding dark hours during the night will increase the period when birds are inactive unnecessarily.
3. Always provide cool drinking water, regular top up is good especially when brooding.
4. Ensure adequate ventilation and fresh air movement through the shed
5. Maintain dry bedding with a thickness of 5 -8 cm to enable bird comfort
6. Stocking density during summer must be kept at 10 birds per square meter, anything higher is adding heat to the birds
Free Range Birds
1. Allow the birds access to shaded areas where they can stay during the hot part of the day
2. Provide clean cool drinking water at many points around the yard or shed area
3. The shed used at night must allow adequate ventilation and fresh air movement
General Tips
- Use stress pack in water to help birds cope with the stress caused by the heat. It will also replenish much needed minerals and vitamins in their bodies.
- Use of wet sacks upon the roof of the sheds can help with reduction of temperatures during the day.
- Painting the roof, especially IBR sheets, white will also help reflect the heat
- The building specifications for the shed must be followed, 50 cm side walls, at least 2.6 metres height on the shed, use of side curtains to control ventilation and temperatures.
- The distance between the sheds as well as the next building or wall must allow adequate air movement. It should not be less than 10-20 metres.
- Fans can be used within the sheds provided the air is not going directly on the birds but allowed to go over the birds and creating a cool environment.
- The water tanks should be made of lighter colours, where one has a black tank that should be painted white.
- Placing the water tanks under the shade is also helpful and can be considered where possible.
- Trees, while they are good for the environment, are not permitted around the sheds as they encourage wild birds and the risk of diseases becomes higher.
Contact a Capital Foods customer support person on +263 772 133 272/4 or customercare@capitalfoods.co.zw