Why do broilers fall to their feet and what to do about it?

Breeding of chicken meat breedsIt is considered a rather profitable and low-cost business, which is used by both farmers on small part-time farms, as well as owners of large poultry factories. Most of the meat crosses, the most popular for breeding, suitable for slaughtering the mass gain in the first two to four months of the year, so the cost of feed is very short. In addition, broilers are more enduring, the level of resistance to diseases is higher than that of other species of chickens. However, it often happens thatbroilers start falling on their feet. Why is this happening and what to do in such situations?

Why do broiler chickens and chickens fall to their feet, possible causes

More oftenchickens fall to their feet solely through the fault of the owner, and only in rare cases can the disease become a cause. The most common factors of this phenomenon are associated with violations committed in the process of keeping the bird. The maintenance of chickens is not only profitable, but also requires a responsible approach from the very beginning, from the moment of purchasing the chicks.The main mistakes that breeders allowat breeding of young animals:

• Unsuitable conditions of detention. When there is an increased number of heads in a room with a limited area, very often the chicks begin to fall to their feet. Of course, the chickens are kept in cages, but the density of landing has not been canceled, and the recommended density of the number of heads per square meter at the age from birth to a month should not exceed 30. At an older age, chickens are placed at a rate of no more than 10 heads per square meter.

• Vitamin deficiency or lack of minerals. If the feeding rules are not adhered to, the feed will not be balanced enough, the hens will not receive the useful substances necessary for the growing organism. As a consequence, the paws move and are taken away.
• Rickets. Rickets develop due to a lack of vitamin D. Simply put, chickens simply do not have enough sunlight, at which this vitamin is synthesized.
• Diseases. Many diseases that can be affected by chickens, one of the main symptoms are the fall of the bird on its feet. In this case, the cause can be established only by a qualified veterinarian.

In the event that from a medical point of view, the reasons for this state are not found, you can help the bird yourself.

Options for self-solving the problem, what to do and how to treat

In order to find a way out, the situation should be analyzed. For example, if it is clear that the degree of landing density is more than acceptable, then, most likely, the reason lies precisely in this. Ifchicks were given cheap food without vitamins, the behavior of the bird can be attributed to the lack of useful substances in the body. Finally, ifthe livestock is kept in a dark place without access to the sun, possibly, to all the fault of rickets.Measures that can be taken in such cases:

• Add crushed shells to feed, eggshells, chalk, thus enriching the diet with calcium.
• Add greens to food. In herbs, the high content of vitamins required by broilers for active growth and maintenance of immunity. Nestlings begin to give finely chopped greens only three days after birth. InitiallyThe amount of greenery should not exceed a tenth of the total volume of food consumed, gradually the amount of grass is reduced to ½. Great for chickens finely chopped nettle.
• Desirableto translate birds for feed. Specialized combination feeds are optimal in their composition and are perfectly absorbed by the bird.

The young ones sit down on their feet, their legs part: prevention of disease

The condition, when the young broilers can not keep on their own paws, is easier to prevent than to look for causes and urgently take measures.A number of factors are important for the normal development of chicks:

1. Compliance with standardsdensity of population.
2. Compliancetemperature conditions.
3. Securityfresh waterand balanced nutrition.
4. Compliancecleanliness in the house.
5. Securityventilation and lightingin the poultry house.

It is very important that in the henhouse it was not only moderately clean, but there was the necessary amount of light, there was no mold, the room was well ventilated. It follows thatto avoid drafts. Newly hatched babies need additional heating in the area of ​​27-32 degrees at the first time.Because of the low temperature, the chicks sit on their feet and die.

Feeding the young is desirable to exercise mixed fodder from the first days. This will avoid problems associated with avitaminosis and, as a consequence, the fall of the poultry on the feet. If broilers can not be fattened by ready-made combination feeds, they need to enrich the diet with vitamins and minerals independently. For this,daily chicksthe fish oil is added to the mash, on the third day, chopped greens are added,on the fifth day of lifeadd to the ration of vegetables, then the food is enriched with calcium using chalk, bone meal and small shells.

Emergency assistance to chicks aged 10-15 days

Experienced farmers argue that a great way to raise the feet of children younger than a month helps vodka. The method has been distributed for a long time, it has been widely used in the people since time immemorial. If the chick falls on its paws and does not want to get up, it simplyinstilled in the beak a few drops of vodka, after which the baby soon rises, he wakes up an appetite. The method is controversial, causing a number of questions, but if you believe those who used this technique, it is very effective.

Treatment of monthly broilers

At the age of one month, the condition of broiler chickens, when they can not stand on their feet, is most often caused by rickets, unless there is a serious infectious disease behind it.Treat young animals with the addition of tricalcium phosphate, as well as fish oil or synthetic vitamin D3. In the absence of serious reasons that caused the inability of birds to rest on their own paws, tricalcium phosphate, thanks to the content of phosphorus and calcium, in a short time has a beneficial effect on the body of birds. Tricalcium phosphate is added at a dosage of 2% of the total weight of daily feed.

Treatment of adults

In older birds, the frequent reason that chickens can not keep on their feet can be joint arthritis.For treatment, ampicillin is used at a rate of 15-20 mg / 1 kg of body weight. Add the drug can be in food or water for 5 days. Treatment is carried out only if it is reliably known that the condition of broilers is due to arthritis. To put the exact diagnosis, establish the reasons and recommend the treatment can only a doctor-veterinarian.

Preventive measures, so as not to kill the chickens

The main factor that prevents the chicks from settling on the paws iscompetent approachto the growing of broilers taking into account all the details. Proper care, good nutrition, adherence to standards of content and timely preventive measures taken able to prevent mortality, ensuring high profitability of farming birds.