Once you have selected your overwintering birds, it is important to remove any birds in poor condition or with chronic health issues. The birds you choose to keep will be the breeding base for next season, so investing time and care into their health and welfare is vital, as this has a direct impact on egg quality and chick quality.
Creating the right environment for your laying birds is essential. A low-stress environment encourages better egg output and healthier birds. Key factors to consider:
- Provide space to avoid overcrowding
- Provide grit and enrichment, such as perches (9cm per bird), branches, scratch areas, and dry litter for dust bathing
- Shelter and physical barriers to reduce aggression and provide hiding spaces
- Clean, dry housing and good litter management
Alongside maintaining the right environment, providing clean drinking water is essential. Aqua-clean can be used to prevent biofilm from building up in the drinking water.
Maintaining strong biosecurity should be a priority for overwintered birds. Some key measures include:
- Foot dips at each pen entrance
- Netted runs to deter wild birds
- Effective pest control
Overwintered birds are often kept in a fairly heavily stocked area for a long period of time, so reducing disease pressure on the ground by and within the birds by keeping the environment clean and preventing issues before they arise is important.
Vaccination programmes will vary depending on your site and risk level. We commonly vaccinate against respiratory and reproductive tract diseases, which impact egg quality and production, such as:
- Infectious Bronchitis (IB)
- Avian Rhinotracheitis (ART/TRT)
- Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG)
Generally, we advise that vaccinations are started at around 12 weeks, and giving two vaccinations 3-4 weeks apart, and boosters may be required depending on your site.
The protection provided by a vaccine is only as effective as how it is administered and stored. It is important that cold storage conditions are maintained, vaccines are within their expiry date, clean water is used for water-based vaccines, all birds receive an adequate dose, and proper injection techniques are used. If the vaccines are incorrectly administered, the birds are not protected, and money is wasted on vaccines that haven’t worked. If you are unsure, we recommend that you speak to your local vet, and training is available if you need support in administering vaccines.
Worm burdens are a common issue in overwintered birds due to climate conditions, and can be diagnosed via a post-mortem and worm egg counts. Wormers can be given in-feed or in-water. We recommend that worming be considered every 6-8 weeks, depending on issues that have previously been on site. Regularly handling birds to check weight, feather condition and external parasites is a simple but effective way of checking the birds.
If there is a disease concern on site or if you would like general disease surveillance, bloods can be taken from 8-12 weeks for mycoplasma and other diseases. This provides valuable insight into your birds and their risk of disease.
For overwintering birds, we recommend repeat testing. Depending on the flock size, up to 60 samples can be taken; these blood samples can also be used to test for other diseases.
Vaccinations and worming play a crucial role in protecting your overwintered birds from diseases that can compromise both egg production and overall bird health. By working with your vet to develop a tailored vaccination plan, you can significantly reduce the risk of disease in the laying season ahead.
FAQ’s
What are the main diseases to vaccinate against?
- Infectious Bronchitis (IB)
- Avian Rhinotracheitis (ART/TRT)
- Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG)
When should I vaccinate my overwintered birds?
As a guide we suggest vaccinating from 12 weeks onwards, then following up 3-4 weeks later and continuing with boosters after. Sites may vary; we recommend getting in touch with us to discuss a vaccination plan tailored specifically to your site.
Why should I vaccinate?
Prevention methods are better than cure, especially when viruses are involved. Few medications can treat viruses once they take hold.
What are the implications of not vaccinating?
The implications of not vaccinating your overwintering birds are that they could catch a disease that not only affects the birds’ overall health, but it could also affect egg quality and chick quality. In some cases, the disease can also be passed onto the chicks.
Have there been any changes over the years as to what we vaccinate against? If so, why?
We are having to vaccinate against Infectious Bronchitis more frequently, as we have seen some cases of new strains of the virus.
If you would like more advice on vaccinating your overwintered birds, give us a call on 01392 872932 or email us at info@stdavids-gamebirds.co.uk
