Mientras que la producción libre de antibióticos es de dudoso valor para las aves en términos de salud y bienestar además de tenerimplicaciones ambientales potencialmente negativas debido a la pérdida de eficacia en la conversión alimenticia, cada vez más aumenta el valor para el consumidor. La implementación exitosa de un programa libre de antibióticos requiere varios componentes que se entrelacen entre sí: una gestión deliberada de la microflora intestinal, aumento en el manejo de la caseta y cama y disminución de la presión de patógenos. Descargue nuestro último artículo para tener lahistoria completa.

Como veterinarios, a menudo podemos centrar la búsqueda por un agente causativo específico que podría ser responsable de lo que estamos viendo en una parvada en términos de salud respiratoria o intestinal o una pérdida de rendimiento. A pesar de que los patógenos virales, protozoarios y de otro tipo pueden serlos responsables de alguna enfermedad específica que encontremos, muy a menudo es el manejo dentro de la caseta el que es la raíz del problema.

A pesar de que la mayoría de los productores avícola tienen programas de gestión específicos para crianza, muchas parvadas son afectadas por problemas respiratorios que se pueden atribuir directamente a la incapacidad de cumplir esas normas. Los resultados de la crianza inadecuada tienen el mayor efecto más adelante en la vida de una parvada, pero el tratamiento temprano es a menudo pasado por alto como la fuente de posteriores enfermedades respiratorias y bajas en el rendimiento.

Contrariamente a lapercepción del consumidor, el estado de bienestarde pollos de engorde esmejorque en cualquiermomento en lahistoriade laproducción avícolamoderna. El advenimiento de nuevastecnologías como la pared lateralsólida, la ventilación tipo túnely la vivienda automatizadaproporciona a las aves condiciones de vida confortables. Estanueva tecnología permiteconsistencia sin precedentes de temperatura, control de humedad y calidad del aire para el mejoramiento del bienestarde las aves. Aprenda como adoptar y poner en práctica adecuadamente estastecnologías.

Frecuentemente, a medida que los gallineros envejecen, el rendimiento puede empezar a decaer sin que haya una causa perfectamente identificable. Incluso, la administración de los gallineros puede ser bastante buena pero los averíos no parecen tener un rendimiento tan bueno como el solían tener. Una de las causas puede ser un cambio en la ecología microbiana del gallinero con el transcurso del tiempo. Debido a que los gallineros tienen pisos de tierra en vez de pisos de concreto, la tierra absorbe amoníaco del estiércol.

El amoníaco es la causa más frecuente de reducción del rendimiento en términos de aumento de peso corporal y conversión alimenticia. Ciertos estudios exhaustivos demostraron que incluso con niveles de amoníaco tan bajos como 25 ppm, los criadores pueden perder 19 puntos de peso por ave (Miles y col., 2009) por gallinero, durante período de crecimiento de 7
semanas, lo que equivale a una pérdida financiera de $209 por gallinero.

El usar PLT acidificante de cama durante la colocación de pollitos para unirse al amoniaco y mejorar el rendimiento de la parvada también aumenta en gran medida el valor como fertilizante de la cama.

The successful production of turkeys requires great attention to detail for an extended growout period. In terms of ventilation and litter management, the needs of the birds change over time as the birds mature and their body weight increases causing an increase in density in the houses. The impact of humidity and ammonia on air and litter quality remains the same though throughout the entire brooding and growout period. Improper ventilation that allows humidity to rise will cause the litter to deteriorate and more ammonia to be generated.

In a study that compared PLT® with two other litter amendments, only PLT-treated houses showed significantly less ammonia. Learn more about the performance of PLT as it relates to condemnations, weight and other factors.

In this trial, turkeys grown in barns with litter treated with PLT® had consistently better average daily weight gain and average total weight than birds in the control barns on the same farm. Read more to learn about the complete study and results.

Environmental stressors, such as high fly density, can affect calf well-being. Sodium bisulfate (SBS) is an acidifier that reduces the pH of flooring and bedding, creating a medium that neither bacteria nor immature flies (also known as larvae or maggots) can thrive in.

Beginning on page 4, two trials are detailed which study the impact of various water pHs on broiler weight gains, feed conversion, water consumption and livability. The most notable result was pH’s effect on the crop. Read the whole study to learn more.

This graph demonstrates how pH affects the effectiveness of chlorine in water.

Learn about the basics of water acidification, the role pH plays and how a PWT® water acidification program can be used to benefit your flock.

Since downgrading of turkey carcasses due to breast lesions is such a major issue, researchers conducted this study to determine what role litter played. Read the full study to learn how your turkey operation can reduce lesions.

A comparison study of three farms showed the wide reaching effects of PLT® litter amendment, including how it significantly and consistently lowered ammonia and litter pH for significant fuel savings during summer months.

The use of sodium bisulfate (SBS) for ammonia reduction is well documented. The profitable economics of its use is laid out in this study. Read the full report to learn about all the implications of SBS use.

Researchers studied the influence of various levels ammonia on bird. Results showed a variety of significant impacts including reductions in respiratory rates, food consumption and growth. Read the full study to learn more.

This detailed trial by M.J. Pope and T.E. Cherry concluded that PLT® has an inhibitory effect on the survival of E. coli and salmonella in broiler house litter. Read the study to learn about all the implications of PLT® use in broiler houses.

Researchers at Colorado State University evaluated the affects of ammonia and bronchitis vaccinations on bird performance and quality. One finding was significant increases in condemnations. Learn more about the study now.

Birds that are sufficiently afflicted with ascites do not thrive. However, PLT® litter acidifier has a significant effect on ascites.

Extensive research shows the detrimental effects of ammonia in poultry houses, including but no limited to irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract, decreased weight, breast blisters and more.

Research has shown that exposure to ammonia levels higher than 20 ppm significantly increases the occurrences of Newcastle disease in broilers.

In this study, broilers were exposed to various levels of ammonia until 28 days. The ammonia was shown to adversely affect weight gains, feed conversion and mortality during brooding.

Acidifying amendments have been shown to be effective in reducing ammonia emissions from poultry operations. This study set out to evaluate what levels of PLT® were needed to maintain ammonia levels at or below 25 ppm during the grow-out period.

In this study on the effects of PLT® litter amendment on fuel costs and bird performance, the farms that used PLT® showed a significant drop in fuel costs due to the elimination of ammonia. Furthermore, bird weights improved generating additional revenue.

Sodium bisulfate (SBS), commonly used in the dairy industry to reduce bacterial counts in bedding and ammonia emissions, was shown to be effective in the mitigation of ammonia and alcohol emissions from fresh dairy slurry as well as other areas.