EDITORIAL
All warm blooded animals face the wrath of the changing climates and it becomes extremely essential to manage the surrounding environment. So poultry too falls under the same category and demands maintenance of adequate temperature at the farm. Winter brings in various respiratory tract infections and most of them are known to cause high rate of mortality. The winter season calls for very precise adjustment of the temperature control system at the farm. These days most of the high end poultry farms have environmental controlled system, which takes care of the entire atmospheric conditions at the farm.
The vertical transfer of disease causing vectors, are rampant during the winter season, as the birds tend to huddle close to get the warmth. Every farm should employ a veterinarian to keep a close vigil on the farm. This will help recognize the onset of the disease before hand and ward off the probable mortality. The water supply inside the farm should be of adequate temperature, so that the bird may feel the ease of drinking water.
Apart from this, ventilation is another important aspect because the close environment maintained inside the farm due to lower temperature outside, will result in accumulation of gases in the farm. This gets more severe with the wet litter which results in emission of ammonia. Now ammonia accumulation inside the farm adversely affects the entire hygienic condition of the bird resulting in various diseases. Once again if the farm manager had opted for the environmentally controlled house, these problems could have been averted.
Even the nutrition should be designed with proper additives especially for winter and this can be done by consultation with nutritionists. This precise nutrition programme will help achieve the desired FCR, growth potential and general health of the bird. In India when we already of extremes of weather conditions, it becomes mandatory to ensure the comfortable atmospheric condition for all animals reared by humans.
