How to Spot and Prevent Heat Stress in Chickens | Heat Stress Mitigation Strategies

How to Spot and Prevent Heat Stress in Chickens | Heat Stress Mitigation Strategies | Dr. ARSHAD

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This video is about Prevention of Heat Stress in Poultry by Dr. ARSHAD.
Heat Stress is a Major Challenge in Poultry Production especially during the Summer Months. It occurs when birds face difficulty in achieving a balance between body heat produced and heat lost. This imbalance can lead to several health issues and production losses. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the causes and responses of Chickens to Heat Stress and implement appropriate mitigation strategies to minimize the adverse impact on production.
There are several causes of heat production apart from the environmental heat. Some of them notably are higher feed intake, higher density feed and / or overcrowding of birds in a limited space, etc.
Heat Stress response to Maintain normal body temperature :
Increased panting
Lesser feed intake and chicken drinks more water which can cause loose droppings
Reduced physical activity
Spreading of Wings
Moving towards shades or towards the place where airflow is more
Blood - Swollen Wattles and Comb
Diverting blood from internal organs to the skin which darkens skin colour
Impact on Poultry Production :
Heat Stress production losses depend on Multiple factors like maximum temperature, Duration of High temperatures, rate of temperature change and relative humidity of the air leading to the following impacts :
High Mortality
Impaired Gut health
Decrease in Body weight, immunity, Egg weight albumin height, Meat Quality, Feed intake, Eggs Production, Egg Shell quality and Hatch ability.
Strategies to reduce Heat Stress in Poultry :
Heat Stress reduction in Poultry can be achieved by implementing various strategies. Two key Strategies are Housing management and Nutritional Management. Housing management involves adjusting the environment in which birds are kept, including the ventilation, temperature control and lighting. Nutritional management involves providing the birds with a balanced diet that includes specific nutrients that can help them cope with heat stress. Both strategies can be effective in reducing heat stress and maintaining performance. Monitoring the temperature and humidity ant farm is a critical task during implementation of Heat Stress mitigation strategies.
1 Housing Management :
Increase space to avoid overcrowding
Clean, disinfect and Cover the Waterers
Fans and Start foggers before one hour of heat increment and stop 30 minutes after panting stops
Sprinkler on the roof and fogger inside the coop
Wet gunny on lateral sides of the coop
Installation of water tank inside the chicken house
Growing trees on both sides of the coop
Reschedule lighting program to make more morning light hours and less afternoon light hours to increase feed intake
Reduce the intensity of the light in hot period to decrease physical activity of the birds
Need to manage routine work and management practice practice schedule so that birds won't disturb in hotter period of the Day
2 Nutritional Management :
Feed distribution at early morning and evening time
Feed intake can be increased by wet mash feeding or Crumble or pellet type feed with the addition of fat or molasses to increase palatability
Withdrawal of feed before anticipated time of peak temperature
Feed should be made denser with nutrients, vitamins and minerals, to compensate for reduced feed intake
Usage of vegetables or highly digestible protein sources in feed
Formulate to digestible Amino acid targets and do not apply a high crude protein minimum in the formula
Usage of Fats or oils with more fatty acids
Use of Betaine, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Linoleic acid.
If you notice any of the these Symptoms in Your Chickens they could be exhibiting Signs of Dehydration, Heat Stress and Exhaustion.
Convulsions, Diarrhea, Lifting Wings away from Body, Lethargy, Pale Comb or Wattles, Laboured breathing and Panting.
So, we Should Find the Ways to Combat Heat Stress in Chickens.
First of All don't let anything / anyone to chase your Flock during Hot Climate conditions, Feed during Cooler times of the Day, Don't Crowd Chickens, Protect from Direct Sunlight, Access to Cool, Clean Water and Supplement Lost Electrolytes along with well ventilated Environment.
This content is about identification, prevention and Emergency Measures for Treating Heat Stroke in Chickens by Dr. ARSHAD Veterinary Clinic.
1 = Move to Cool Spot, Cooling area or Provide Dust Bath
2 = Provide Fresh and Clean Water
3 = Fruits / Vegetables, Nutritious/ Balanced diet
4 = Use Amivicom ( Electrolytes, Vitamins, Minerals ) or Amivital High in Complicated case
5 = Provide Cooling Bath
6 = Sprinkle Water over Comb
7 = Spread Wings
8 = Overnight TLC
Unlike people, chickens don't have sweat glands nor do their feathers allow for a refreshing breeze to cool the skin and decease their body temperature. Because of that, it's important to stay vigilant about keeping your flock cool in the summer to prevent heat stress.