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New Trends in Poultry and Disease Spreading Risk

Nick Dorko, DVM, MAM, ACPVGlobal Head of Veterinary Technical Services- Aviagen

Ceva Poultry Vaccinology Summit: Barcelona , SpainMarch 15, 2016

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Lots of new trends (and some not so new) which can affect how we try to control disease To discuss several of these Try to give you some things to think

about From a production and disease control

perspective

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To Cover Variability The Market (Bird Sizes, etc.) Housing and Practices The Double D’s

Density and Downtime Antibiotic Free (ABF)

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Disclaimer I am not necessarily for or against

anything I am going to talk about There are positives and negatives to most

things We do many things for economic reasons

and not for what is necessarily best for the chicken

All things can be made to work Syndromes!!!

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Variability If you can control variability (or

reduce it), you will have better control of problems For example:

• Vaccination Crews versus growers or farm crews which do the vaccinating

• Consistency and expertise versus biosecurity and cost

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Vaccinations Hatchery

Reason why we now try to do as many vaccinations in the hatchery as we can

We have better control of the process Eyedrop versus DW or Spray

Less variability and higher accuracy More labor and potentially bird stress

(handling)

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Broiler Breeders Uniformity!!!

Light stimulation timing Birds over or underweight EODES (Erratic Oviposition and

Defective Egg Syndrome) Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP)

• Bird Management!!- Metabolic

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Housing and Equipment New Complexes = New Houses

Generally all houses same size and same equipment• Easier to set up programs

Usually much easier to manage because less variability house to house

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The Market Referring to:

Bird Size marketed at that complex or area

Special or New Marketing Trends in the area

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White Meat Markets Some growing areas prefer Breast

meat USA/Canada/Australia/New

Zealand/Parts of EU High breast meat yield breeders can

often be more difficult to manage Broilers often grown to heavier

weights

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Broiler Size In many areas broiler size (BWs at

kill) are increasing (i.e. USA)

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USA Broiler Weight Trends

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Broiler Size This can mean:

Longer time in the field (house) More time to be exposed to diseases or

poor management conditions Protection from vaccine (if vaccinated)

must be longer• Or extra vaccine given

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Thinning Practice where you go in multiple

times in a broiler flock to select out birds at certain target weights Common in many areas of Europe (EU),

Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere

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Thinning- Why? Often where growing areas are not

big enough to allow multiple complexes or processing plants

Also where housing and growing costs can be high

Allows you to put higher densities into your houses

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Thinning- Issues Multiple chances to introduce disease or

disease agents Increased growth spurt and potential

stress after each bird removal Excessive wing flapping and/or stress of

thinning process Green Muscle Disease

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Thinning United Kingdom banning because

linked to a higher level of colonization of the birds by Campylobacter

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Other Growing Trends Backyard Chickens Free Range Chickens Both are potential disease threats to

commercial poultry MG/MS, Avian Influenza, NDV, etc.

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Google MapsHowell FarmGP BreedersPulaski, TN

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Housing and Practices

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Multi-Age Farms We know this is not ideal but still

being done Land availability Costs (land, taxes, etc.) Often easier to manage

• All facilities in one place Still very common for commercial layers

• But new broiler breeder farms in some areas

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Multi-Age Farms

Harder to control disease Especially MG/MS, Salmonella, AI, NDV Vaccination Timing and Reactions

• Especially difficult for respiratory disease control and timing of live respiratory vaccinations

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Re- Using Litter Practice becoming more common in

some areas Common practice in USA, Brazil and

other Latin American countries USA also common in grow/pullet houses

for broiler breeders Broiler houses common to only do a

total cleanout once a year

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Re-Using Litter- Why? Cost and time for cleaning and

disinfection high Litter availability (and cost) How to get rid of the used litter and

where? Some countries easy to sell Some countries or areas hard to get rid

of because of environmental issues

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Re-Using Litter- Positives Cost

Including more cycles/year Seeding down the house with good

bacterial organisms (Probiotic effect) If vaccinating for coccidia, seeding

down house with vaccine strains

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Re-Using Litter-Challenges Must ventilate better to control ammonia and possible

respiratory issues, including vaccine reactions In areas of high AI and VVND challenge is difficult (or

impossible to do) Used litter spread near farms with birds can be a

source of infection Disease Issues?

Reovirus/ILT/Marek’s Disease(MDV)• Variant viruses/Mutations?

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“Clean House Syndrome” Cleaning and disinfection of farms is getting

better then ever Especially for control of Salmonella

More concrete floor houses USA and Brazil two places with not many concrete

floor houses As we do better C&D (especially formalin),

chickens are not getting naturally exposed to certain disease agents as they did in the past Birds with negative serology exposed during lay!!

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“Clean House Syndrome” Adenoviruses

Inclusion Body Hepatitis (IBH) and Hydropericardium Disease (HPS)/Angara Disease much more common

Where high challenge might have to vaccinate

Very few commercial vaccines available

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Clean House Syndrome Chicken Anemia Virus (CAV)

Breeders need to be positive before egg production

Many still rely on natural seroconversion Not such a reliable method

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Clean House Syndrome CAV

In my opinion all breeders should be vaccinated• If not monitor serology carefully and allow

time to vaccinate before production if needed

Too much we don’t know about CAV immunosuppression

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Table of CAV positive antibody (%)

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Clean House Syndrome Chicken Astrovirus (CAstV)?

“White Chick Syndrome” Are birds not getting naturally

exposed as they did in the past?

Other important agents might emerge in the future

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Density and Downtime

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High Density Poultry Areas In high density poultry areas disease challenge is

usually much higher Strict biosecurity procedures Different vaccination programs (more intense) are

often required In very high poultry population areas it can be difficult

to control diseases, especially in breeders Often have to move breeders to a different area

• DMV in the USA• Subang area in Indonesia• Luzon area in Philippines

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Density in the House Trend is to increase bird density, especially in

broiler breeders to try to maximize space and profit

You can increase density up to a certain point This must be determined with trials Can vary depending on

• House style• Ventilation systems

• Equipment, especially feeding equipment• Time of the year

• Winter versus Summer• Welfare Regulations

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Density- More Meat!!!

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Density-Can have effects on FCR and Feathering

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Density- Effects on Mortality and Growth Rate

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Consequences of Too High Density Decreased feed

consumption Decreased growth rate Decreased feed efficiency Increased mortality Increase cannabilism Increase breast blisters

and paw damage

Increase in birds with poor feathering

Increased condemnations Increased house

ventilation requirement Increase in kgs of broilers

raised in a house during a 12 month period

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Density- Potential outcomes Breeders- Feed Space!!!

Performance effects• Less eggs• More floor eggs• Staph/Leg Issues

Increased mortality• Cannabilism• EYP

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Higher the Density Disease control can often become

more difficult Change in vaccination ?

Mortality and condemnations can become increased

Performance can be decreased Must fine tune what is the best bird

density for your situation

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Downtime/Turnaround Time Definition-The time that the last

chickens leave the farm (go to market) until the next (first) chicks arrive

Many Factors Can Complicate This!!! Multi-Age? Re-Used Litter? Previous Disease Outbreak?

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“ The Downtime Syndrome” Breed doesn’t change Vaccination doesn’t change Feed doesn’t change But the customer complains:

FCR increase 2-5 points Growth rate slow Uniformity not good Often RSS(Runting/Stunting Syndrome)

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“ The Downtime Syndrome” What changed?

Shortened Downtime!!! Usually less then 10 days for MORE

then 1 cycle• Especially more then two cycles

Worse on multi-age facilities • Younger aged birds usually worse affected

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Effects of Downtime in a Large Poultry Integration

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Average Daily Gain by Down Time Total

0.096

0.098

0.100

0.102

0.104

0.106

0.108

0.110

1 to 7 8 to 14 15 to 21 Over 21

Total

YearSold(All) YEARMO(All) MaleBre(All) FemBre (All) BREEDC(All) FLOCKT(All) WtRang(All) FARMN (All) TUNNEL(All) HatSour(All) GrowerR(All) TA (All)

Average of GainDay

DowntimeCat

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Average Adj. FCR by Down Time Total

1.600

1.650

1.700

1.750

1.800

1.850

1.900

1.950

2.000

1 to 7 8 to 14 15 to 21 Over 21

Total

YearSold(All) YEARMO(All) MaleBre(All) FemBre (All) BREEDC(All) FLOCKT(All) WtRang(All) FARMN (All) TUNNEL(All) HatSour(All) GrowerR(All) TA (All)

Average of AdjFCRto5at10

DowntimeCat

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Average Livability by Down Time Total

80.00

82.00

84.00

86.00

88.00

90.00

92.00

94.00

96.00

98.00

1 to 7 8 to 14 15 to 21 Over 21

Total

YearSold(All) YEARMO(All) MaleBre(All) FemBre (All) BREEDC(All) FLOCKT(All) WtRang(All) FARMN (All) TUNNEL(All) HatSour(All) GrowerR(All) TA (All)

Average of Livability

DowntimeCat

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“The Downtime Syndrome” What is probably happening?

Build-up of pathogens• Viruses??

Improper C&D• Not enough time to properly do or not done

at all

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Antibiotic Free (ABF) An increasing trend, especially in

USA, Canada and parts of the EU Currently in the USA about 42%

broilers are grown on some type of ABF program Around 13% on NAE (includes no

ionophores)

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Antibiotic Free (ABF)

What are the main problems on ABF: Higher first week mortality

• Omphalitis/”Yolksacculitis” Necrotic Enteritis Bacterial Chondronecrosis and Osteomyelitis

(BCO, formerly known as FHN) Vertebral Osteoarthritis (VOA)

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Summary Practices in the poultry industry are

constantly changing around the globe

Broilers are being marketed at higher body weights and with more yield This means a longer time in the field

where they can be exposed to disease challenges

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Summary More birds in a house, whether

broilers or breeders, can create very different challenges in growing practices

Shortened downtimes can lead to decreased performance and increased disease problems

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Summary ABF programs which are increasing

in popularity in some areas offer new challenges especially with bacterial infections

Good biosecurity and health programs (including vaccinations) can help to reduce issues in the areas discussed in this talk

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Thank You! Questions?