How to use alum to reduce odor in poultry house.

A research team is working on how adding alum as an amendment to poultry litter. This reduces ammonia and greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions, specifically carbon dioxide, in poultry houses.
 

 The University of Delaware's Hong Li is part of a research team looking at how alum can reduce green house emissions in poultry. Acid-based chemical compounds, alum and PLT -- another amendment -- that are added to the bedding material in poultry houses prior to the birds entering have proven to be a very effective tool in controlling ammonia emissions.

 In the poultry industry, ammonia build up is a major concern and ammonia concentration is usually high during the growth period .

  Ammonia can do a lot of damage to the animal, especially the respiratory system, and can effect overall animal health and welfare.There is a need to control the ammonia, not only for the animal health but also for the public health implication.

 Adding alum to poultry litter is known to reduce ammonia concentration in poultry houses, its effects on greenhouse gas emissions had been unknown.

 MODE OF ACTION; The carbon dioxide was reduced in two ways.First, because alum is an acidic product, it reduces microbial activity in the litter and reduces the ammonia emissions.

.Ammonia comes from uric acid being broken down by bacteria and enzymes. Once the uric acid is broken down, two products are created -- one is ammonia and one is carbon dioxide..By reducing the bacterial activity, the ammonia concentration and also the carbon dioxide reduce.

 Second: by using acid-based litter amendments in poultry litter, growers can reduce the ventilation rate and reduce fuel used for heating the poultry houses, especially during the winter.

 In the broiler industry, there is a need to control ammonia to improve animal health and welfare. They have to keep the bird comfortable with optimum temperatures.

 However, if you want to have lower ammonia level you have to bring in more fresh air to remove more of the ammonia-laden air. This will result in over ventilation of the house,resulting in more cost to keep the house warm.

 The use of the acid-based litter amendments, will reduce the ventilation rate and the rate of fuel used, which reduces the carbon dioxide emission from the house through the heating process.

 Thus if the microbial activity is reduced and also reduce the heating, there will be lower carbon dioxide emissions.
 Story source; papers from university of Delaware.

WATER RELATED PROBLEMS IN FISH FARMING.

Water parameters play a vital role in fish farming,these parameters are directly related to the stocking density ,feed and feeding technique.Oxygen levels in the pond must be maintained at 4mg/litre. The concentration can be altered when the weather changes such as excessive high temperature,this reduces the solubility of oxygen in the pond.This results in suffocation of the fish in the pond,this results in high mortality. The dissolved oxygen level is usually depleted in cases of heavy algae bloom,this results from excess use of manure in the pond.The amount of feed given at any point in time also imparts the level of oxygen.when there is overfeeding or just after feeding of the fish and there are excess feed in the pond because there is an increase in demand of oxygen to digest the feed.Overcrowding in the pond due to overstocking also depletes the oxygen concentration. The fish show signs when the water parameters are altered or when there is a compromise due to pathogenic agent.The fish crowd near the water surface gasping for air,they reject feed,they dont respond to noise and their sputum remains undissolved on water surface. The water in the pond should be changed and replaced with fresh water,stop feeding at this period and stop fertilization of the pond.The oxygen level is corrected by aerating the pond using air pumps/aerators to increase oxygen level. Ammonia level( 0.05mg/litre) is also another important health indicator.The feed components are the key factors,when feed content are not properly metabolized,they give off high levels of ammonia in waste material,leading to contamination of pond due to accumulation of waste at the bottom of the pond.The pond could also have high levels of ammonia,if there is a contamination of ponds by sewage waste due to a leak from sewage pipes. The fish responds by reducing feed intake and also come to the surface for air.The ammonia level can be corrected by using more easily metabolized feed ;this can be achieved by using atovi premix in fish feed.This ensures proper metabolism of feed without any ammonia buildup,thus maintaining the regular level of ammonia.The atovi premix acts on the feed,fish and water in the pond(read more about atovi and fish in previous posts).In ponds where atovi feed is not used,the pond level must be reduced,it must be flushed and clean water is added to oxygenate pond. Foul smelling /odor in the pond this is usually as a result of feeding uncooked offal's to the fish,this is a major cause of pollution in fish pond. The uncooked offal s usually crowd/clog the water surface,depleting oxygen concentration ,giving off foul odor with resultant death of fish. The effect is reversed by removing left over offal s on water surface,flush pond and fill pond with fresh clean water.The use of uncooked offal's should be stopped and use compounded ration instead. Fish health is hinged on good water parameters,feed quality,quantity and frequency of feeding,hence much attention must be given to these factors.Observation and good management protocol are the keys for a successful fish farming venture.

FISH HEALTH PROTOCOL.

The fish tank/pond is a summation of all activities carried out in the farm. The health status of the fish depends largely on management,this will determine the success of the venture.The prevention of fish diseases is achieved by implementing methods to prevent stress on the farm these include regular feeding with good quality feed,at specific feeding points at specific times. Fish should be given good quality feed at specific points at specified times to ensure proper observation this protocol ensures pond management as observation will dictate course of action. Predisposing conditions to fish diseases can easily be observed and prevented,these include poor water quality,overstocking and poor feed quality. The presence of dead fish or dying fish in the pond indicate a stress condition which can be attributed to pathogenic agents,bad feed,poor oxygen concentration e.t.c. HOW TO IDENTIFY SICK FISH; 1) the fish stops feeding. 2)the movement is sluggish,swimming by the side of tank. 3) skin discoloration. 4)lesion such as sores,pus ,white nodules on the skin. 5) fins rotten or frailed off. 6)gills are pale,hairy,white and covered with mucus. When you observe any of the above do the following; 1) isolate fish. 2)test the water parameter with a test kit. 3) check the fish thoroughly. 4)submit fish for laboratory diagnosis. 5)match the result with water analysis . 6) institute treatment based on result. The isolation of sick fish in treatment tank is to prevent spread/contamination of other stock,but ideally when you identify any sick fish you isolate them but ensure you drain the pond and replace with fresh water.This will ensure you flush out the causative agent and also alter the water parameter. It is very essential to treat all the fish in pond although those isolated will be treated separately and will only be returned to pond when health status is certified . Fish health management is a key to success of the venture, using Atovi feed premix is an advantage. It enhances the immune system of the fish keeping diseases away, the fish grows faster resulting in early harvest and fish are of big sizes fetching more profit. The premix ensures proper absorption of feed,so there is no wastage reducing the amount of feces hence pond is clean without undigested feed in pond. The use of atovi premix ensures a balance in water parameters as there are no nitrogenous deposits preventing nitrite toxicity which causes brown blood disease.It also prevents high ammonia deposit in pond because of complete metabolism of feed. FOR HIGHER FISH YIELD ;USE ATOVI PREMIX.