Synopsis: Heart attacks are the results of failure of the heart muscles’ function due to poor blood circulation to the heart muscles. This happens due to the one or more blocks in the coronary artery function which supplies blood to the heart muscles to function. These heart muscles are the involuntary muscles performing’ a vital function to help the heart pumping blood to the whole body on non-stop performance of 24×7.
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CARDIAC ARREST in Chicken (Sudden Death Syndrome – SDS)
When two or more heart attacks occur within a short duration it becomes a ‘Cardiac Arrest’ an acute syndrome in which the heart suddenly stops functioning and the bird collapses immediately. In a nutshell heart attack gives second chance for survival; however cardiac arrest leaves no chance. Cardiac arrest (Acute Syndrome) can happen in a healthy bird without prior attacks too.
Such acute incidents (Cardiac Arrest) in Poultry are called ‘Sudden Death Syndrome’ in which a healthy bird dies without any clinical signs or symptoms and/or without any infection.
Postmortem examination of the major organs and the body parts of the chicken will be quite normal. Cardiac arrest or Sudden Death Syndromes are common in broiler birds in comparison to commercial layer birds due to high fat% in their feed.
Chicken Heart
The chicken heart has quite similar anatomy and function as that of mammals including humans with two atria and two ventricles (four chambers) and pumping the oxygenated blood to the whole body and involving in the gaseous exchange.
Factors ‘involved in the Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest in Chicken
- Biological stress – Today’s chicken has the evolution of genetic goals
- Environmental Temperature – Peak weather conditions especially summer.
Yo-Yo Chicken of 2024. – Evolution of Genetics with Production goals
Today’s Yo-Yo chickens are genetically evolved to have less feed and deliver more commercial results than yesteryears relaxed birds.
The current days genetically evolved chickens with high production goals in order to deliver the quick results, have ‘inbuilt stress’ within the birds which is inevitable but to sustain.
Biological Stress
The Biological Stress secrets cortisol the stress hormone which leads to many complications in the birds including triggered adrenaline gland leads to heart attack and/or cardiac arrest, sudden death.
Biological stress leads to produce the stress hormone – CORTISOL
Cortisol the stress hormone lowers the body function including low feed intake.
Cortisol Triggers Adrenaline Gland in chicken
Cortisol the stress Hormone triggers Adrenaline Gland to secrete Adrenaline. Adrenaline lowers many body functions, importantly lowers metabolism & increases the body heat, thus increases the heart beats which results in heart attacks and or CARDIAC ARREST (SDS).
Production Goals Produces Bio-Stress & Cortisol Triggers Hypothalamus
Cortisol – The stress hormone, triggers hypothalamus which regulates the birds’ body temperature. Triggered hypothalamus imbalances Chicken’s body temperature and body temperature shoots up resulting in panting and heart attack and/or cardiac arrest – Sudden death syndrome.
During extreme weather conditions, chicken’s blood pH becomes acidic as chicken lacks sweat glands like mammals to reduce the body temperature. It means the blood level Co2 will be higher than Oxygen. Thus, Acidic blood increases the adrenaline level leads to increased heart beats – heart attack & cardiac arrest.
How to control/minimise the Stress and Heart Attacks
It’s quite challenging to minimise the stress levels in today’s poultry however it’s very much possible.
The stress levels in chicken will be high during summer and winter season as the most of the poultry farms are in open environmental system exposed to extreme heat/cold.
EC shed poultry farms are very rare in Asia and Middle East region as the not announced or unplanned ‘power cuts’ is very common and maintaining the farm’s electricity with diesel generator will be additional cost.
Solar Panel based poultry farms will be futuristic with today’s aggressive solar energy promotion.
Poultry farmers’ can continue their regular practices to reduce or increase the farm temperature externally as per their regular consultants’ advice.
Poultry Feed Formulation
A bit Less Crude Protein levels balanced with Amino Acids is the key factor.
Potassium & Crude Fat% – The important factors to avoid heart attacks or SDH in chicken.
Potassium levels are important for bird’s healthy heart. The given statistics can give the handful information for the potassium level and Fat% to be maintained in the Poultry feed formulation to prevent SDS especially in Broiler Chicken.
Though fat% is not an issue in commercial layers, it’s wise to include Choline Chloride in the old flocks that are above 50 weeks. Early morning feeding is important to maintain the birds’ energy level for the rest of the day.
Vitamin E, Biotin and B3 Niacin can be top dressed to reduce the Heart Attacks in Chicken
Inclusion of Antioxidants
Synthetic antioxidants can help to prevent heart attacks or SDS in Chicken.
Like BHA – Butylated hydroxy anisole, BHT – Butylated hydroxytoluene, Propyl gallate (PG) and TBHQ – Tert-butyl hydroquinone etc. Though the synthetic antioxidants effect is fast and accurate we need to limit their usage due to certain side effects arise due to their long-term usage.
Plant based Antioxidants – Dry Amla extract can be used @ 500 g/MT or as per the consultants’ advice.
Antioxidants can be used as per suppliers’ dosage claim.
Oral Supplements (Electrolytes) through drinking water
We need to maintain the Electrolytes Balance either through drinking water or through feed.
Supplementing electrolytes is essential during Summer & Winter.
Vitamins & Trace Mineral Premixes through feed can be increased by 20 to 30% to the regular dosage
Diluted Butter Milk can be given through drinking water during Summer
Clean & diluted ‘butter milk’ can be given through drinking water @ 20 ml/100 birds
The diluted butter milk should be clean and fresh, without fat molecules. Please note that the diluted butter milk is easy to execute at deep litter farms; to execute in Pipe line system, it should be filtered thoroughly to avoid ‘nipple chocking’ or else can choose the electrolytes with B complex through feed.
Summary:
To the increasing human population and updated life style everyone needs healthy food. Poultry industry is one of the promising industries to feed food challenges that humans are exposed today.
As the demand multi-folds, biotech solutions and evolving genetical goals of the chicken to produce more in less space is must and urgent.
Poultry Industry can assure a healthy food option through chicken meat and eggs with the consistency in taste and top- quality hygiene at 24 x 7.
Hence, every bird saved is every bird produced.
Previous Article by author: Prevention Of CRD & C-CRD – Essential In Poultry
1. Pale Shelled Eggs
2. Pink or Liliac Eggs
3. Dirty Eggs
4. Shell-less Egg
5. Bloody Eggs
6. Soft Shell Eggs
7. Cracked Egg
8. Corrugated Eggs
9. Wrinkled Eggs
10. Pimpled Eggs
11. Calcium Coated Eggs
12. Mottled Eggs
13. Broken or Mended Eggs
14. Misshapen Eggs
15. Spots (White Brown speckled) on Egg Shell
Broiler feed now accounts for 29.9% of the total feed tonnage in the world, thanks to a 3.5% increase in overall tonnage in 2023. While this growth was not uniform across all regions, the poultry sector is poised to keep holding strong in 2024 thanks to a combination of regional successes and global market dynamics. Some of the biggest factors that will contribute to the resilience of the broiler sector include reduced costs for inputs, such as feed and energy, and increases in margins and profitability. Shifting consumer preferences will also benefit broiler producers, as inflation and other economic changes often prompt an inclination toward more affordable protein options, and poultry traditionally serves as the preferred choice in those circumstances.
Globally, the poultry feed industry continues to expand, albeit at a slower pace than has been seen at other times. Layer feed tonnage in the region remained unchanged in 2023. There are industry-wide efforts to optimize feed efficiency and keep pace with changing dietary trends and new purchasing power. Macroeconomic difficulties and disease outbreaks, which can disrupt production cycles, had a significant impact on some markets around the world. Still, the general outlook for the layer industry remains positive thanks to its resilience in the face of difficult circumstances, when other protein sectors often struggle to adapt.
Mr. Ricky Thaper, Treasurer, Poultry Federation of India highlighted the significance of this partnership in addressing critical nutritional needs and fostering international cooperation in the poultry industry. Mr. Thaper said that this occasion marked the beginning of what promises to be a fruitful collaboration aimed at enhancing nutritional standards and promoting economic growth in the poultry sector.
By combining their expertise, both organizations aspire to raise awareness about the nutritional advantages of poultry products.
Under the terms of the agreement, NOVUS becomes the owner of all BRI’s products and intellectual property and takes control of the company’s facilities.
During my second job in Tarkeshwara Hatcheries, I met Ajay who was working as Production Manager. Ajay is BVSc from College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Parbhani and also my batch mate. As part of his job, he was required to remain in remote area without basic facilities, be it a hospital, market or local transport. I started discussing my business ideas with him as even before we got married, my ideas about creating our own business had started taking shape. However, I was only able to work towards it when I was selected for a government job through MPSC.
Dr. Anju Deshpande:
Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection in birds usually takes a long time to manifest and is followed by severe respiratory tract inflammation. In flocks, the disease often goes unnoticed and causes latent infections. According to earlier studies, conditions including high feed density, heat and cold stress, high levels of ammonia, accumulation of feces, fouling of the chicken house, wide temperature variations, and abrupt climatic changes can all contribute to the spread and outbreak of disease.
The dynamics of MG infection relies heavily on clinically or sub clinically infected carrier birds since Mycoplasma gallisepticum hardly survives outside the host for longer than a few days, yet several studies reported the ability of MG to survive up to several days on contaminated fomite materials (dust, feathers etc) provides important insights on epidemiology of the disease. Some M. gallisepticum strains capacity to develop biofilms may enable them to survive in the environment for longer duration. MG can be transmitted from infected breeder flock to their progeny via transovarian transmission. Some studies concluded that the vertical transmission of MG occurs at the highest rates during the acute phase of disease when the level of MG is at peak in respiratory tract and declines subsequently as the post infection interval lengthens.
Respiratory Distress: Birds infected with mycoplasmosis often exhibit respiratory distress, characterized by coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and wheezing.
