As we start a new year and with a few short weeks of the open season left, it’s timely to look back over last year and what we can build into this year, to do everything we can to rear strong, healthy poults for release.
Getting the foundations right
It started with our vets busy on-site blood testing, vaccinating and/or treating the laying stock, which paved the way for better production and chick quality. Nothing beats getting the right foundations in place. For example, there were no cases of Mycoplasma on the rearing fields in Scotland this year, as it seems vertical transmission was successfully mitigated in the breeders with the control programs. This shows the benefit of having the right foundations in place.
Getting off to a good start
The weather was on our side for set up, which continued as chicks arrived. Chick quality was good; however, the unseasonably warm daytime temperatures that continued for a good number of weeks resulted in a significant amount of gut health challenges as young birds were overheated, especially in the first few days after placement.
Planning ahead
With that in mind, it’s worth considering now how you could adapt your site set up this year to better deal with weather variables, such as higher temperatures. It could be adjustments to your shed/night shelters, water system set up to make sure water is clean and cool, or providing more shaded areas in the run. It can be as simple as having a stock of supportive products such as electrolytes.
Low disease challenge
Overall, disease challenge was low. We saw some instances of coccidiosis, particularly following exposure to high temperatures, which reinforces the need for careful shed temperature management. There was also some Rotavirus leading to between 2% – 10% mortality.
We also continued to see the benefit of using non-medicinal products to tackle specific challenges and reduce antibiotic use, particularly at times of stress. A number of other new and innovative products and solutions were trialled by our vets, which supported our sector’s unique needs and delivered a clear return on investment.
Looking ahead
As our team continues to work together behind the scenes for the season ahead, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to chat through anything related to your season last year that might help plan for the next.
All of us at St David’s are looking forward to a healthy, sustainable and progressive season ahead.
