PARALYSIS IN BROILERS REVIEW!!!
Recently, the incidence of paralysis in broilers has increased over 40%. Following the calls and reports I’ve got from farmers, I think this is one of the major problems farmers face now.
Could it be farmers fault? Or it’s a general problem from the hatcheries?
Whatever is the case, it helps to be total relaxed and look for a solution instead of panicking over the situation which may lead you to taking wrong decisions.
First, let me quickly say weak bone and joint is one of the major problems faced with heavy weight birds like broilers. Their fast growth and weight put more weight on their legs and joint which they may not be able to carry. But, it’s not a condition farmers must battle with as long as the birds get their daily nutritional requirements unless something went wrong.
5 possible cause of paralysis or lameness include:
Genetics
Hatching process or management
Disease condition
Overweight
Nutritional Deficiency
Among these, the first 2 causes of paralysis (Genetics and hatching process or management) may be difficult to reverse. This simply means something went wrong from the genetic makeup of your chicks which they inherited from the parent stock or the hatching procedure was faulty resulting to abnormalities which will only manifest as your birds grow. If your birds experience any paralysis problem linked with these, it’s entirely not your fault. This is why it’ll never stop to advice against getting birds from unreliable sources. Remember, some reliable sources sometimes may still go faulty. So, you can’t be extra careful.
The last 3 causes of paralysis could be blamed on the farmer.
Of course, your birds can recover from this paralysis faster than you’d imagine if you know exactly where the problem is coming from. This is where the real problem lies.
NUTRITIONAL DEFFFICIENCY (CALCIUM DEFFICIENCY OR EXCESS ON PARALYSIS)
Do you know the first thing that comes to farmers mind is to go add more calcium to their chicken feed when they see paralysis without even considering the causes?
Now look at this… do you know too much calcium in your chicken diet causes paralysis too?
Too much calcium will bind up phosphorus present in your feed. Phosphorus helps in joints flexibility and strengthens the bones and joints too. This means that when phosphorus is bind up in your feed your birds have stiff joints and can’t stand up straight nor walk around.
Now if you assume lameness in your flock is caused by low calcium and then went ahead to add more calcium when it was actually caused by too much calcium, you have only succeeded worsening the situation. The best way to correct any lameness in your flock if you are not sure of the cause relating with calcium deficiency or excess is to use DCP (Dicalcium Phosphate). This feed additive contains calcium and phosphorus in recommended proportion which will correct any deficiency or excess within a week or two. Please, unless you formulate your own feed where you can calculate the calcium content to know if it’s deficient, don’t add more to avoid worst stories. The best thing to do if you use commercial feed is to change to a better quality feed.
Birds suffering from paralysis linked with calcium imbalance eat and drink well but just can’t stand up. 200g of DCP per 75kg of feed will help correct any calcium and phosphorus imbalance and help your birds recover.
DISEASE CONDITION
Viral infections of chickens can cause paralysis too. However, the best way to confirm that the cause of paralysis is a disease condition is review other signs and symptoms accompanying the paralysis.
Note: birds suffering paralysis from a disease condition have their immune system weakened already by the viral infection. This is why the first point of action to recover them is to boost their immune system.
Another good sign to know that your birds are suffering paralysis from a disease condition is to check their toes. Sometimes, your birds may struggle to stand up but because the toes are curled (refuse to open) they fall.
Curl toe is a good sign that your birds’ immunity has been weakened by the viral infection and need good vitamins to boost their immune system and help regulate their bodily functions. Vitamins like vitamin B2, B6, B12, Vit E and vitamin D3 are the best vitamins that could help in such conditions. Especially vitamin D3, it would help your birds recover faster than expected unless that it’s rarely available and costly.
But, you could get a cheap Vit D3 from the early morning sun. Exposing your birds to the early morning sun daily from 8am-10am will help them recover fast.
Follow up with organic antibiotics for 4 days with major Vit B extracts addition gives the best results ever.
OVERWEIGHT
Overweight causes paralysis too. This results when your birds are too weighty for their legs to carry. Before you conclude on this, make sure your bird’s weight is well estimated and compared to their age. Note: weighty birds with adequate nutritional contents in their feeds should not come down with leg problems. If your birds are heavy and you suspect the cause of their lameness is the weight, reducing their feeding and giving more vitamins will help remedy the situation faster.
Remember, vitamins don’t only help your birds add moderate weight but also helps in supplementing the feed nutritional content and maintain a healthy body.
All vitamins drugs sold out here aren’t the same. If you still use synthetic drugs for your birds, check out the vitamin content of any product you are getting for your birds suffering from paralysis and make sure the major vitamin content are vit D3, Vit B2 and B6.
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