Henry Sight Lugoloobi is a poultry farmer. He keeps broilers in areas of Namulonge, Wakiso district.
His over 20,000 broilers sit in three big structures. The broilers are kept in cycles that enable him to sell most of the time.
However, one of his biggest challenges is diseases. “You have to have good biosecurity in order to keep off diseases.
Poultry farmers lose a lot of money due to diseases, especially if they did not carry out proper bio security,” Lugoloobi says. At his farm, there are disinfecting basins at every entrance to the chicken house.
The main gate has also got disinfectants for vehicles coming in.
The most common diseases in poultry include newcastle disease, fowl typhoid, and fowl pox, among others hence the need for protection to prevent entry of such diseases on the farm.
What is biosecuirty?
r George Kibiike explains further that biosecurity is the management practices designed to prevent entry of diseases into a farm for both crops and livestock.
“It involves establishing sanitization points for both people and vehicle, it involves cleaning up of poultry units, cleaning drinkers, feeders every day, which most farmers do not do hence increasing disease burdens on the farm,” said Kibiike.
He adds that the most common diseases in poultry include newcastle disease which comes in the first weeks of life for a bird, fowl typhoid at around six weeks, later fowl pox among others.
How do diseases find their way on the farm?
Dr John Etuket, a veterinary doctor, explains that diseases find their way on the farm through the following instruments;
-Through other birds or animals that stray into the farm or are introduced without thorough checking. If you are introducing a new animal, first keep it separately for at least two weeks as you examine its health status.
– Through visitors and farmers clothing, shoes, and vehicles. This is why it is advisable that any person entering the farm is properly bathed and clothes changed.
-Through poor disposal of dead birds or animal carcasses. These must be buried at least 6 feet deep, away from the farm.
-Contaminated drinking water provided to the birds, can also increase incidences of diseases on the farm. Make sure water is from a clean source.
-Rodents and wild birds, contaminated feeds, and feeding equipment among others.
How to avoid diseases
-Random slaughtering of animals within the farm vicinity must also be avoided. When birds are ready for slaughter, this should be done at once such that the house can be cleaned and disinfected.
-Every entrance point to the firm, there must be a footbath for people and tyres including sprays to keep off possible infections that could be carried along with people or other instruments coming to the farm.
-Birds should be kept together according to the age group to avoid incidences of pecking or bullying that could result in broken limbs, bleeding among others.
-The poultry or animal houses should be kept clean to ensure that there is no spread of diseases. Chicken litter should be dry at all times as wet and dirty litter exposes the birds to diseases such as coccidiosis among other infections.
