Symptoms and Treatment Methods of Stress Responses in Chickens
Humans are prone to stress disorders in extreme environments, and humans and animals share this trait, mainly reflected in the fact that chickens also exhibit stress responses. Sowhat are the symptoms of stress responses in chickens? How should the symptoms be handled?
1. What are the symptoms of stress responses in chickens
When a flock of chickens is exposed to extreme temperatures, unreasonable lighting or sudden changes in light duration and light intensity, high stocking density, poor ventilation, accumulated and damp chicken manure, or environmental influences such as abnormal sounds, sudden noises and other recurring noises, the flock will exhibit stress responses, usually manifested as reduced sperm production in roosters, delayed sexual maturity in hens, a marked drop in fertilization rate, a significant decline in egg production rate, and even damage to the cardiovascular system, causing infection of respiratory diseases and the occurrence of ascites; in addition, it also easily leads to staphylococcosis, chest, leg and claw injuries, poor development, and vices such as vent pecking.
2. How to handle stress responses in chickens
1. Create a suitable living environment
Do a good job of heat prevention and cooling in summer and cold prevention and warmth in winter, and try to maintain the optimal temperature in the chicken house; keep the relative humidity of the chicken house at 50%-60%; ensure good ventilation in the chicken house and fresh air inside; frequently remove manure to prevent ammonia levels from exceeding the standard; keep the house quiet to prevent sudden sounds or excessive noise; maintain appropriate stocking density, with each chicken in cage housing occupying no less than 0.05 sq m of cage space, and the density for laying hens raised on the floor or on wire flooring being preferably 6-8 birds per sq m.
2. Scientific feeding and strengthened management
According to the different growth and development stages of chickens, formulate scientific and reasonable feed formulas, feed complete compound feed to meet their nutritional needs, and prohibit feeding moldy and deteriorated feed; keep the keepers fixed, feed at fixed times and in fixed amounts, and supply sufficient drinking water; implement a correct lighting system, with 16 hours of light during the laying period, and light intensity preferably 3-5 watts per sq m; carry out tasks such as catching chickens, beak trimming, epidemic prevention and flock transfer at night, and handle them as gently as possible.
3. Add anti-stress additives to the feed
Vitamins: adding vitamin C to heat-stressed chickens at a ratio of 0.02%-0.04% can restore the concentrations of sodium, protein and cortisol in the blood plasma to normal, helping chickens under heat stress conditions maintain normal body temperature.
Trace elements: stress can cause chickens to be relatively deficient in certain trace elements or to have increased requirements for them. Appropriately supplementing the feed with elements such as zinc, iodine and chromium can reduce stress responses.
Electrolytes: during heat stress, chickens breathe faster and exhale large amounts of CO2, the HCO3- content in the blood decreases, and respiratory alkalosis is likely to occur. Adding electrolytes such as NaHCO3, KHCO3, NaCl and KCl to drinking water or feed can maintain acid-base balance and alleviate heat stress.
Drugs: tranquilizers have a strong sedative effect. 1-1.5 hours before flock transfer, beak trimming or vaccination, adding 30 mg of chlorpromazine per kilogram of feed can reduce the flock's response to stress.
Chinese herbal medicines: certain natural Chinese herbal medicines have anti-stress effects. Feeding anti-convulsant and sedative medicines, such as gambir plant, Acorus calamus, fumaric acid and jujube seed, can keep the flock from becoming restless and maintain quiet; feeding Chinese herbal medicines that clear heat and purge fire, clear heat and dry dampness, and clear heat and cool blood, such as gypsum, Scutellaria baicalensis, Bupleurum chinense, lotus leaf, Isatis root, dandelion, Rehmannia root and Pulsatilla chinensis, can alleviate heat stress; feeding Chinese medicines that stimulate appetite and aid digestion, such as hawthorn, malt and medicated leaven, can maintain normal appetite and improve the body's resistance.
Only by correctly handling stress responses in chickens can the growth and development of the flock and the egg production rate be ensured, reducing the losses caused by stress to a minimum.