In a previous post, we discussed how very efficient poultry farm management will ensure that you considerably reduce the mortality rate of your chicks. However, in spite of best efforts in Kienyeji chicken management, sometimes deaths are simply inevitable. Do not consume dead birds. So you have to find a good way of disposing of the carcasses. The situation can be particularly when you have a disease outbreak and several birds have died at the same time.
Causes of deaths in birds
Deaths in your kienyeji flock can occur due to a number of reasons. These include the following:-
If you leave out predators such as foxes, wild dogs or even hawks, here are some of the causes of sudden death in your poultry flock:-
- Diseases: Common poultry diseases such as coccidioisis, infectious bronchitis, infectious coryza, mycoplasma, fowl pox, fowl cholera, Marek’s diseases account for the bulk of the deaths in your poultry. These can be avoided through early vaccinations and proper biosecurity.
- Overcrowding: Overcrowding is one of the main causes of poultry mortality. Not only does it lead to diseases, it also causes injury, suffocation and pecking behaviors that is likely to cause poultry deaths.
- Poor air quality: One of the main reason why you should invest in good housing is because poor air quality is a leading cause of mortality in your poultry. Mortality due to poor air quality occurs mostly in the brooder. Ensure there is good ventilation when you are brooding chicks.
- Poor Temperature Control: Poor control of temperature is another leading cause of chicken mortality. This too comes to the kind of house design that you have. Follow a good housing construction requirement. Temperature control is especially important in the brooder as you are likely to lose many chicks during the brooding phase.
- Poor housing instructions: In one particular house, we realized that the chicken were dying due to poor construction of house interior. They would get entrapped in cardboard spaces used on the walls and die there because no one was noticing they were trapped.
- Inspect the house thoroughly every morning and evening in order to ensure that all dead birds are removed from the coop.
Do not bury dead birds!
For most people farming in rural areas, there is always the tendency to bury dead chickens. Dogs and other animals can easily dig them up and this can pose serious health risk. If you live in urban areas, you can dispose them with your garbage. Wrap them carefully and, if possible, mark it as dead chicken and then dispose of it alongside your garbage.
Burn Dead Chicken
In more open spaces such as rural areas, you can burn the dead chicken. Use dry fire wood and twigs and burn the dead birds to ashes. Some people throw them in pit latrines which is a quick for disposal but if you are a large commercial farmer this is not practical and not recommended. Just have a designated area a safe distance way where you can burn the dead chicken and keep it away from harming humans and animals alike.