The year of the Parasite
As a new year stretches ahead of us, it is a useful time to look back at some of the disease problems experienced by free range producers and discussed in the columns of the Ranger in 2002.
Thinking of the biggest headaches we have seen in our clients’ birds and heard of around the country, parasites probably win the year’s prize. Red mite control continues to be everyone’s problem, irritating both birds and producers. Turning to internal parasites, combinations of roundworms, hairworms and blackhead have caused some distressing and prolonged problems, no doubt exacerbated by the wet Spring weather. Attention to detail, pre-emptive action and help from the researchers are all vital for a more successful 2003.
Through the pages of this magazine, we started the year with a controversial topic—beak trimming. The broad conclusion was a desire to avoid the need to trim and avoid the desire to peck. A good starting point is to continue to concentrate on doing everything we do already, just that bit better in terms of management, health, feather cover, red mite control and environmental enrichment to tip the balance back in favour of the bird. 2002 saw further developments in this area with DEFRA setting up an Action Plan with interested stakeholders (the year’s pet phrase) and hopefully this will bear fruit.
Later in the year, we looked at IB and IB vaccination, a subject that all producers keep coming back to. This ’clever’ virus always seems to have the knack of changing its spots to keep one step ahead of the best vaccination strategy with new variants emerging with monotonous regularity. Doubtless 2003 will see further problems.
We also looked at factors affecting shell colour which went well beyond the effects of IB and other viruses, highlighting the multifactorial (a popular word with vets!) nature of so many problems we investigate in free range layers. Things are never simple in egg production.
Other old chestnuts were E.coli and peritonitis. Any year discussing disease problems would not be complete without mentioning these conditions. Peritonitis is a reflection of the whole egg laying process misfiring and a wide variety of stresses on the bird, be they infectious, managemental or environmental, can be responsible.
One aspect that appeared prevalent this year was helped by the exceptionally wet conditions and heavy rainfall in East Anglia at least. This gave birds ample opportunity to indulge their passion for bathing in and drinking from muddy puddles on range. This despite supplying them with limitless fresh drinking water in the house. It seems that birds can really add to their E.coli burden from this unsavoury past-time, leading to peritonitis and probably some non-specific, but equally frustrating, gut problems and loose droppings.
There is also some evidence that this may contribute to the undercurrent of blackhead (histomoniasis) problems being reported around the country. Clearly, all attempts to improve drainage and making sure that any heavily poached areas are fenced off at least temporarily have never been more important.
The wet weather during the year also seems to have upset vermin and led to them seeking more refuge than ever in warm poultry houses with free feed! This may account for the increase in reports of Pasteurella infections (a bacterial disease causing sudden mortality in flocks). Effective vermin control again should be given high priority over the Winter months.
In July, the word from the vet was nothing but a whisper but the editor still managed to add in a very important aspect of disease control with the report of BFREPA member Richard Kempsey’s decision to move to an all in, all out operation. All vets would recommend this is an important biosecurity move giving the producer an opportunity to wipe the slate clean. This approach, coupled with special attention to effective cleansing and disinfection at turnaround, will help to prevent build up of infections and your site becoming fowl sick. Obviously balanced against this must be the needs of the egg cheque and income spread evenly through the year. Worth thinking about though.
As the year drew to a close, we returned to the old chestnut of Salmonella control with the looming Zoonoses Directive. This regulation, which will need to be incorporated into UK legislation, will mean more obligatory testing of your layer flocks and punitive consequences of ’going positive’. Positive flocks may not necessarily be required to be destroyed but it is likely that before eggs from infected flocks could enter the food chain, they would have to undergo heat treatment. Sounds like an option, but it is dependent on finding a heat treatment plant that will take eggs from a known positive flock!
Never has it been more important to look at all aspects of biosecurity with respect to Salmonella control. Undoubtedly, the available vaccines have been a great success story for our industry. However, it is likely that controls won’t stop at Salmonella enteritidis or even Salmonella typhimurium and our biggest risk will be complacency. Salmonella vaccines should be seen as one of the ingredients of the ’cake’ of Salmonella control but to make the best cake you are dependent on all other aspects including vermin and wild bird control, exclusion of visitors, use of foot dips and protective clothing and effective cleansing and disinfection.
Now is a good time to jot down all the risk factors and critical control points related to your own farm and then make it a priority to address these through discussions with your veterinary surgeon.
Before thoroughly depressing all our readers, remember that you are producing a product all consumers want and need. The art is to do this in the most cost effective manner whilst at the same time satisfying all the requirements of the increasingly demanding birds, consumers and bureaucrats. Happy laying!
