Diagnostics and Blood Sampling of Poultry

Blood is collected from chickens for two purposes:

To obtain serum which will be tested for Newcastle disease virus antibodies, no anticoagulant is required and the blood is allowed to clot. The levels of antibodies detected in individual birds and flocks indicate the response to vaccination. It also indicates whether birds have been challenged by field strains of the Newcastle disease virus.
To obtain red blood cells, the blood is collected into an anticoagulant. The cells are washed and used to test for the presence of a virus in the haemagglutination test. They are also used in the haemagglutination inhibition test for the presence of antibodies.

Those who bleed chickens must use a quick and effective technique. This will develop with practice and by applying the following advice.

Handle the chickens gently.
Collect the blood samples quickly.
Take care not to damage the vein.
Damaged veins will result in haematomas being formed. Minimise the loss of blood. This minimises trauma to the chickens and stress to their owners. The owners are then more likely to cooperate by supplying chickens for the collection of blood samples in the future.

Procedures for Taking Blood Samples

A. Wing Vein Bleeding

Materials:

5 ml syringes
25 gauge needles for small chickens
23 gauge needles for larger chickens
Cotton wool
70 percent alcohol solution
Labels or marking pen to label each syringe

Method:

Ask an assistant to hold the chicken horizontally on its back. The assistant uses one hand to hold the legs and places the other hand under the back to support the chicken.
Pull a wing of the chicken out towards you.
Note the wing vein, clearly visible running between the biceps and the triceps muscles. The wing vein forms a V (bifurcates). Note the tendon of the pronator muscle that runs across the V.
Pluck away any small feathers that obscure the vein.
Disinfect the area around the bleeding site by swabbing with 70 percent alcohol.
Insert the needle under the tendon. Direct the needle into the wing vein in the direction of the flow of blood. Do not insert the needle too deeply. Keep clear of the ulnar nerve.
Once the tip of the needle is in the vein, gently pull the plunger of the syringe. Blood will flow into the syringe. If blood does not flow, release the plunger and make a very slight adjustment to reposition the end of the needle.
Be patient and use a gentle suction to withdraw the blood. Chicken veins collapse readily.
If a haematoma forms, try bleeding from the other wing.
After removing the needle, apply pressure to the vein for a few seconds to discourage further bleeding.
Ideally the needle should be removed into a needle disposal container and the cap placed on the end of the syringe to prevent leakage of the serum. However, in many places, these containers are not available and the cap will be placed over the needle. Take care! Do this very carefully to avoid a needle stick injury.
Pull the plunger back approximately 1 cm and place the syringe at an angle with the needle end up in a rack to facilitate clotting.

B. Bleeding a Chicken Alone

The staff at the John Francis Virology Laboratory use the following method for bleeding chickens without an assistant. The method is a modification of the procedure described above and is written for a right-handed person. Left-handed people soon make their own modifications once they start bleeding chickens alone.

Sit on a chair. Turn the chicken on its back and place it on your thighs.
Arrange the chicken with its head away from you and place the right-wing securely between your thighs.
Use your left elbow to secure the legs by holding them down onto your left thigh.
Place your left forearm across the chicken and use your left hand to spread out the left wing of the chicken.
Use your right hand to bleed the chicken as described above.

Figure 16.62 Holding the chicken down to take a blood sample, opening the chicken wing to check for veins and taking a blood sample from the vein.

Insert of needle into the wing.

Enhancing Chickens Immunity

Summer Management (Carmino Plus)

Ventilation

Increase Airflow: Ensure the poultry house is well-ventilated. Use fans to increase airflow, and consider installing additional fans if necessary.

Proper Placement: Place fans strategically to ensure even distribution of air throughout the house.

Exhaust Fans: Use exhaust fans to remove hot air and humidity from the house.

Adjustable Vents: Use adjustable vents to control the amount of fresh air entering the house.

Insulation and Shading

Roof Insulation: Insulate the roof to reduce heat gain. Reflective roofing materials can also help deflect sunlight.

Wall Insulation: Insulate the walls to keep the interior temperature stable.

Shading: Use external shading devices, such as shade cloths or trees, to reduce direct sunlight on the poultry house.

White Paint: Paint the roof and exterior walls white or a light colour to reflect sunlight.

Cooling Systems

Evaporative Cooling: Use evaporative cooling pads to lower the temperature inside the house. Ensure they are properly maintained and cleaned.
Misting Systems: Install misting systems to cool the air. These should be used carefully to avoid excessive moisture buildup, which can lead to high humidity.
Foggers: Use foggers to produce a fine mist that can quickly cool down the air.

Water Management

Cool Water Supply: Provide a constant supply of cool, fresh water to the birds. Water consumption increases in hot weather, so ensure ample availability.
Water Tank Shading: Shade water tanks and pipelines to keep the water temperature low.
Water Spray: Occasionally spray the roof with water to cool it down.

House Management

Reduce Stocking Density: Lower the number of birds per square metre to reduce heat production and improve air circulation.
Feed Management: Adjust feeding times to cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening. High-energy feeds increase metabolic heat production.
Litter Management: Keep the litter dry and well-aerated. Wet litter can increase humidity and cause discomfort.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Temperature Monitoring: Use thermometers and hygrometers to monitor temperature and humidity levels regularly.
Maintenance: Ensure all cooling and ventilation equipment is regularly maintained and in good working condition.
Emergency Plans: Have an emergency plan in place for power outages or equipment failures, including backup generators or alternative cooling methods.

By implementing these guidelines, you can help ensure a comfortable and productive environment for your poultry during the summer months.

Winter Management (Bedgen 40 Poultry Tonic):

During cold weather conditions, the heaters or infrared lamps must be switched on a few hours before the chicks arrive. In warmer weather conditions the thermometers must be monitored and the heaters must only be switched on when needed. The temperature for day-old chicks is 32°C, gradually reduced to 21°C.
Chicks Transportation should not be more than 8 hours.
The supply of chicks in winter should be in the daytime, curtain or side screens (laminated polythene) on both sides of the poultry house for the entire length should be hung.
The torn side screen and worn-out roof should be repaired during the poultry house reparation.
Feed should be carried in a fully closed vehicle to avoid getting wet, feed bags should be stacked with a gap of 0.304 metres from the walls, feed bags should be stacked with a gap of 30 cm from the ground using wooden pallets or hollow blocks or square stones and so forth
Ceiling curtains must be made for the entire brooding area.
The brooding temperature is to be maintained for at least two weeks.
Round brooding is better than part brooding and brooding should be 3.65 metres wide in diameter and height should be 45 cm for 350 chicks.
A Hygrometer should be there for each shed. It should be 50 cm above the ground level and one and a half to 0.609 metres away from the brooder.
Recommended antibiotics, vitamins, electrolytes and feed should be kept ready.
Keep ready with brooding equipment such as a gas brooder or pot brooder, newspaper, chick drinker and chick feeder.
Allocate 0.152 square metres per chick for the brooding area, and 0.22 square metres per chick for round brooding. Spread newspaper across the entire round brooding area for paper feeding. Turn on the gas brooder or coal pot to preheat the brooding area 6 hours before the chicks arrive.
Fill the chick drinkers about 4 hours before the chicks’ arrival. This allows time for the brooder heat to warm the water.
The drinkers should be filled with clean water and placed in position near the brooders at the same time that the room heating is turned on.
This will ensure that the water will be between 22°C to 25°C and will not chill the chicks.
Check the light intensity in the brooding area so that the chicks can easily access the feeders and drinkers.
30% of the space should be occupied by the cycle tyre feeders and bell drinker feeding in addition to paper feeding.
The chillness of the chicks can be felt by keeping the chicks’ feet on the backside of your palm or face.
Maintain temperature 30 to 31°C throughout the brooding area.
Ensure clean, sanitised water can easily be accessed by the chicks.
Chicks first start to feed and tend to eat a good meal, which also fills the crop.
Plate feeding or chick feeder feeding shall be implemented as supplementary from 2nd day onwards.
Dip the beak of the chicks in the chick drinker for at least 10% of the chicks to learn to drink.
Poor 7 day weight is obtained due to the chicks being unable to find feed or water and poor maintaining of temperature and RH%.
Withdrawal of heat should be gradual. Sudden withdrawal of heat leads to huddling and unevenness
In winter season, generally brooding heat to be maintained 24 hours for 1 to 7 days and night time from 8thday to 14^th
However maintain the heat according to the prevailing temperature.
After introducing auto drinker on day 4, chick drinkers to be taken out gradually.
Spray a mixture of wood ash and fertiliser grade super phosphate in the ratio of 4:1 at the rate of 20 kg per every 100 square metres before raking the litter to prevent ammonia release.