Eliminate Ammonia,
Improve Animal Welfare
Ammonia is Harmful to Bird Health
Ammonia robs performance from growers
Extensive research has shown that even ammonia levels as low as 25 PPM can cost broiler growers 19 points of weight per bird per house in a 7-week grow-out – not to mention the negative impacts on livability, feed conversion, and condemnation rate at processing.
But what about ammonia’s impact to poultry health and welfare? In addition to performance declines, ammonia exposure can cause:
- Blindness
- Respiratory disease
- Paw lesions
PLT® Helps Stem Ammonia-Induced Respiratory Diseases
Applying PLT at a sufficient rate to eliminate ammonia protects birds’ eyes and tracheal health.
A study published by Terzich et al showed that birds raised on PLT whole-house had significantly fewer respiratory tract lesions from vaccine reactions than those with ammonia-damaged tracheas.
Blind Birds Don’t Eat
When ammonia dissolves on the eyes, it produces an irritating substance (ammonium hydroxide). Visible signs are swollen or red eyelids, and partial or complete closure of the eyes. The severity of the damage depends on ammonia concentration and duration of exposure, but persistent ammonia levels of 100 PPM are likely to cause blindness.
Blind birds don’t seek out drinkers and feeders, which means a significant amount of weight and feed conversion is lost, and the cull rate increase.
Ammonia Damage to the
Respiratory Tract Increases Disease
When ammonia damages the cilia in the respiratory tract, birds lose ability to clear dust, bacteria and viruses, increasing their susceptibility to infection.
- 25 PPM: cilia are paralyzed
- 40 PPM: cilia die (harsher vaccine reactions)
- 25-50 PPM: reduced body weights, feed efficiency, larger lung size and increased airsacculitis
- 75 PPM: hemorrhages in trachea and bronchi; shrinking air capillaries in lungs
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