What to do if broilers fall to their feet?
A large bird with powerful legs, it looks like a hardy hero. But this is a misconception - the first signs of the disease are manifested by the fact that broilers fall to their feet. Often this problem is eliminated by correcting errors in the content of the flock, but there are cases of serious illness. A doctor can determine the true cause of joint weakness.
Features of keeping meat breeds of chickens
The correct diagnosis of the disease can only be made by a veterinarian. You can not give the bird any medicine and vaccinate without prescription.
The following factors affect the development of musculoskeletal tissue:
- balanced nutrition for vitamins D, E, A;
- sufficient calcium content;
- compliance with the climate in the place where birds are kept;
- the number of individuals per square meter depending on age;
- hygienic requirements for keeping livestock.
If broilers fall to their feet due to inappropriate grooming, the situation can be corrected.
How to achieve balanced nutrition for vitamins? Vitamin D is formed by the inclusion of fish oil in the diet and daily walks in the fresh air. Ultraviolet rays contribute to the formation of a vitamin that prevents rickets. With an excess of vitamin A, broilers also fall to their feet, as with a deficiency. The best way to reduce vitamin hunger is to feed chickens with green grass from the third day. First, a cut is made from it, then you can knit brooms and hang them. In this form, pecking of wholesome food becomes entertainment.
With rapid bone growth, a lack of calcium may be the reason broilers fall to their feet. It is the main building block for the skeleton. You can get it from egg shells, shells and chalk. Many poultry farmers provide chickens with slaked lime. This means that the whitewash has already been diluted, stood for a long time and dried up in a bucket. Quicklime limestone will break the goiters of chickens.
The temperature of the content should be comfortable. The chickens need 30 - 34 degrees, and 15 degrees are enough by the month. Calm behavior will be a sign that the chickens are comfortable. If the kids gather in a heap and climb up, they are cold. In hot weather, the chick spreads out on a pallet, spreading its wings. Humidity should be 75%.
When kept on the floor, the litter should be dry, about 10 cm thick. Change the top layer 2 times a week, more often it is impossible. Chickens find beneficial additives in the litter, even in guano.
Drafts are unacceptable and ventilation is beneficial. At first, 18 chickens are kept in the room, gradually expanding the pen. Ten adult birds per square is normal. The lighting should be moderate.
What to do if broilers fall to their feet? Check if the above containment conditions are met. Make adjustments.
How to get broilers to their feet
It is easiest to correct the conditions of detention, but it is more difficult to saturate the body with the necessary ingredients. If the veterinarian has determined that there are no infectious diseases, it is necessary to adjust the diet.If broilers get up, what can you do to get them up quickly? Should be included in the diet starter feed for broilers... It should be given from the first days of life for 3 weeks. A balanced composition, included vitamins and minerals will help meet the body's needs.
You should carefully consider the amount of food eaten. One of the reasons broilers fall to their feet is being overweight.
Weighing chicks weekly will show how they are gaining. It's normal when a month-old chicken gained 500-700 grams, and a two-month-old about 2 kg, is no longer needed. When kept in cramped conditions, broilers fall to their feet due to immobilization, and treatment consists of transplanting the birds into a spacious cage.
The most useful green food is nettle leaves. This supplement is a medicine for chickens, as it contains many essential trace elements. In addition, euphorbia, clover, alfalfa, plantain, dandelion are useful.
Some amateurs, if broilers get on their feet, choose vodka from the methods of treatment, for some reason it helps. One pipette poured down the throat and the chicken runs.
Broiler infectious diseases
The most dangerous infectious incurable disease when broilers fall to their feet is considered Marek's disease. The infection enters the body on the first day, and makes itself felt in the second month. The chick falls to its feet due to the miscoordination of movements. The disease takes over the nervous system. The virus persists in the litter for 16 weeks. You can eat meat. The virus strain changes and it is difficult to find a vaccine.
In case of suspicion of infectious diseases, all broilers are vaccinated with antibiotics:
- chlortetracycline;
- penicillin;
- oxytetracycline;
- chloramphenicol.
Poultry farmers advise that if a broiler falls to its feet at the age of two months, it should be used for meat. During treatment, he will not gain weight and the taste of the meat will deteriorate.