How to control Gout in poultry farms?


 

Gout.

 

There are two types of diseases one is caused by pathogenic bacteria or viruses second one is metabolic diseases which happening when functions of an internal organ is affected. Gout is a metabolic disease, that is not caused by bacteria or viruses and is caused by damage to the body's internal organs functions especially kidney. Gout is most commonly seen in chickens less than 14 days of age. it is found  In adult laying hens also but it is high in the chicks stage of Broilers, layers, and breeders. It  happens in adult laying hens  because of IB(Infectious Bronchitis) infection Or high calcium percentage in the feed.,

What are the main causes of gout?

Gout is mainly happened because of chickens not drinking water properly. because of the low temperature of water or atmosphere. Gout is a condition in which uric acid, produced by  protein digestion  is not  excreted properly  by the kidneys  and then  it  accumulates in the kidneys and various internal organs (kidneys, liver, heart). Most of the gout cases happened because of unawareness and lack of proper involvement in management.

1. Is gout caused by management mistakes??

Because the number of Drinkers or / nipples set is low, chickens drink less water, which can lead to dehydration then gout. The water facility should be set up as one drinker for 100 chicks and as a nipple for 10 chicks. For adult hens, water drinkers should be arranged at the rate of one per 50 hens. As the water gets colder in winter, drinking less water can lead to gout. If the temperature is low during brooding (artificial heating), the chicks will lie on top of each other and do not drink water. All of these are major causes of gout. So we should check the brooding temperature and activity of chicks regularly.

2. Due to IB disease.

The second is IB (infectious bronchitis). Chickens are more likely to get gout if their parents have IB disease because the IB virus affects the kidneys. And uric acid removal will not work properly however, gout is the most commonly caused by dehydration/less water intake.

3. If the level of calcium in the chicken feed is high.

Calcium starts to be used sparingly only when the hens start laying eggs and before that very little calcium is enough. Excess calcium is excreted by the kidneys, but too much calcium in the diet can damage the kidneys. In addition to calcium, uric acid is also excreted by the kidneys. This high calcium percentage in pre-lay feed can lead to gout. This can happen even if the hens are fed a layer feed before they start laying eggs. The layer feed contains about four times more calcium than the Grower feed. Gout is not a disease that spreads from one chicken to another, but gout caused by IB spreads to all chickens with the spread of IB infection.

 

There are many other reasons for gout   like, High Vit D3, High protein, Ascitis, Mycotoxins, drugs, and chemicals, etc. But the 3 main reasons explained above cause majority percentage.

 

 * Treatment *and control.

 

1.The only way to control gout is to increase the amount of water chicks drinks, it is by making sure the Drinker and nipple are properly fitted. Periodically check the height of the nipple, If the chickens sit on top of the nipple line, the nipple line is more likely to go down. The water in the bowl/Drinker should be set at the height of the chicken tail/Crop. The pressure of the water in the nipple should be checked. Arrange the nipples so that at least 100 ml of water per minute. We should check the water flow regularly. There are several products available in the market that can cure gout by  increasing amount of drinking water. Sodium bicarbonate and jaggery solution are very good for increasing water intake.

When treating gout, it is important to reduce the amount of feed halved until the end of the treatment period. It will help us to reduce the uric acid production from feed.so it will be more easy to remove already settled uric acid. In addition, the number of drinkers should be adjusted to 4-5 more than required during treatment. The only way to prevent gout is to have accurate water availability, calcium levels, and nutrition and IB prevention.

2.Proper IB Vaccination in Breeder /Parents.

 

In all the above these three cases, it is advisable to check the nearest veterinary hospital regularly.

Vet doctor can help you in amount of calcium in feed, Volume of water required for one bird, Brooding temperature. Ventilation etc

 

Dr. Abdul Rauoof P.

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