Poultry Diseases & Nutrition

A disease program in the management of poultry is very important as this will see that the cost and efficiency to chronic diseases are reduced. This program may not bear fruit immediately but will be effective in the long term.

Poultry Farming

Poultry farming is the growing of poultry birds for meat, egg, feathers, etc. These birds are grown within the protected environment by the poultry farmers. The poultry farmers should regularly give poultry feed supplements to provide commercial poultry nutrition for birds. If there is a lack of poultry nutrition, birds may affect by some common chicken diseases. 

Essential Nutrients for Poultry

The energy for the poultry is given through the best nutritious diet. The health of the poultry depends on the nutrients found in poultry feeds. The poultry diet should contain water, carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, fats, and minerals. The reduction in these six components may lead to nutrition-related problems for poultry.

Common Nutrition-Related Problems of Poultry

1. Water Shortage

The poultry can live without food, but the water is an essential component that should be provided for birds regularly. Shortage of water for a few hours may result in the reduction of egg production. Water will act as a cooling factor and helps digestion. Water takes the poultry chicken nutrition to the cell and produces energy. Shortage of clean water to the poultry will provide problems in the digestion that result in poultry production.

2. Carbohydrate Deficiency

Carbohydrate is the highest proportion of the feed supplement for poultry, the poultry's energy source. Low carbohydrate content in the poultry feed results in a low glucose level for poultry. Carbohydrate deficiency may result in weight loss and poultry production. 

3. Vitamin Deficiency

Vitamins are provided in small quantities at broiler chicken nutrition. But, vitamins play a major in normal body function, reproduction, and growth. The birds get affected by several vitamin deficiency problems due to the omission of vitamins in the chicken diet. Vitamin A is the fat-soluble component, and the deficiency results in weak birds with ruffled feathers, water discharge from the throat, and eyelids stuck together.

Vitamin D is the primary source for forming the normal bone skeleton. Deficiency in vitamin D results in rickets and weak legs. Vitamin E is required for the central nervous and muscular system's normal functioning. Vitamin E deficiency results in encephalomalacia (softening of the brain), tremors, contraction, and leg relaxation (crazy chick disease).

Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, which causes hemorrhaging in the deficiency of vitamin K. Deficiency of water-soluble (Vitamin B1, B2) vitamins in chicken feed result in weak birds, paralysis, decrease in respiration rate, and ruffled or clubbed feathers.

4. Protein Deficiency

Protein is the source of amino acids. The intake of proteins as poultry nutrition is broken down into amino acids and absorbed by the blood, and transported to cells. Deficiency of protein leads to slow growth or stop ovulating, which leads to a drop in egg production.

5. Fat Reduction 

Reducing a fat component in the commercial poultry nutrition results in the retardation of growth, improper liver functioning, respiratory problems, and improper absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. 

6. Mineral Deficiency

The mineral nutrients found in poultry feed are essential for bone development. Inadequate bone mineralization in the feed supplement for poultry results in Rickets, Tibial Dyschondroplasia, and Cage Layer Fatigue (depletion of bone structure). Mineral deficiency mainly results in the problems of bone formation.

Providing inadequate poultry chicken nutrition in the feed supplement results in the poultry birds' health effect. The best and fresh feed components should be selected and provided as feed to maintain the broiler chicken nutrition at the stable line.