Early approach to managing new castle disease.

Early approach to managing new castle disease.Newcastle disease affects chickens and other captive and wild birds.Humans are not normally affected,

Humans are not normally affected, but cases of people in direct contact with infected birds that developed a very short-term eye infection, which passes without treatment has been reported.

 The disease is spread by direct contact with body fluids of infected birds, especially their feces,it can also spread indirectly through people and objects that have been in contact with infected birds, or their excretions (such as feces).

 The most common objects that can carry the disease are 1)vehicles. 2)equipment 3)clothing/work overalls 4)water and feed troughs.The disease can also spread from wild birds to domesticated birds. 


                                   SIGNS.
 1)respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling.

 2)Nervous signs such as tremors and paralysis and twisting of the neck(most common sign).

3) yellowish-green diarrhea

4)depression

.5)lack of appetite.

6) drop in number of eggs and eggs laid may be soft-shelled.


 Prevention is by vaccination of flock and enforcement of strict biosecurity protocols.
READ biosecurity protocols here.



 TODAY there are new strategies to tackle new castle disease. Join  the free webinar to learn more.

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AGRIBUSINESS: How to revive a new born calf.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to revive a new born calf. Calves are at a relatively high risk of mortality as soon as they are born. When they hit the ground, and their navel cord is severed, they need to obtain oxygen through the lungs. They do this by starting to breath. However sometimes a difficult or prolonged calving can result in trauma or a weak calf, and they need a bit of help kicking it into gear. A newborn calf's nostrils and mouth are covered with mucous which can affect their breathing, and there are multiple ways a farmer can help to clear them. 1) Stimulate the nostrils to make the calf cough or sneeze. If you tickle the calf’s nostrils with something small, soft and clean you can bring about a cough or a sneeze to clear away the mucous. Usually this is done with straw or a gloved fingertip. Be careful though - if it isn’t clean, small enough to enter the nostril or soft enough, it could injure or inflame the nose. 2) Cold stimulation of the calf. Pouring cold water over the head or into the ear of a newborn calf can bring about head shakes and coughing to clear fluid from their throat. This sudden gush of cold water will come as a shock and is a pretty abrupt welcome into the world for a newborn calf . 3) Aspiration: You can inflate the lungs of a newborn calf by aspiration in a few ways. One way is to insert a soft tube into the nostril. Another is by placing a gas mask over the snout of the calf. This practice prompts the calf to snort like the straw method, however is comes with the added benefit of having the added momentum of a lungful of air. AGRIBUSINESS: How to revive a new born calf.

How to reduce aggression in pigs.

When new ,unfamiliar pigs are grouped together they fight to establish dominance relationships. This natural behavior can, under farm conditions, escalate to the extent where health and productivity are affected. Aggression increases stress, causes skin lesions and can result in injury and reduced immunity and growth. Researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC, formerly SAC) in Edinburgh, UK have been working on pig aggression for over 15 years and recently, an information leaflet on aggression has been made available for farmers. The effect of aggression on productivity, aggression between newly mixed pigs lasts for around 24 hours, after which it reduces but remains high for up to three weeks. Aggression results in skin lesions which mostly fade after one or two days. Aggression increases stress, causes skin lesions and can result in injury and reduced immunity and growth. In sows it can lead to abortion. The time spent on fighting comes directly at the cost of the time spent on feeding. Growth rate is therefore most often reduced on the first days after regrouping. How to reduce aggression in pigs 1) re grouping: If needed, then regroup pigs as young as possible. The older and heavier pigs are, the more likely that growth will be reduced and injuries occur. Endeavor to keep the number of unfamiliar pigs per pen as low as possible. The higher the familiarity, the fewer the fights. Caution: Do not put one or two unfamiliar pigs in an established group. more