Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[rbaker0345]

http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/63/6/1136.abstract

Here's an interesting abstract on the benefits of Vitamin E and Selenium that I found while looking up the recommended Vita E/Selenium ratios in chickens

 

[rbaker0345]

Here's a good quick abstract from Cornell:

Vitamin E and Selenium Deficiency

Etiology

Vitamin E plays multiple roles in poultry nutrition and is an essential dietary vitamin required for the normal embryonic development of birds. Diets deficient in vitamin E can lead to a variety of disorders in poultry including encephalomalacia, exudative diathesis, and muscular dystrophy.
Host Range

Vitamin E deficiency may cause clinical disease in young chickens and turkeys raised in confinement. Clinical signs usually manifest in the first few weeks of life. In adults, no outward signs of illness occur. However, the hatchability of eggs from vitamin E-deficient chickens and turkeys is reduced.
Epidemiology

Most cases of vitamin E deficiency occur in birds that are fed rations high in polyunsaturated fats (e.g. cod liver oil and soy bean oil). When vitamin E in these diets becomes oxidized (rancid), the vitamin is no longer bio-available.
Clinical Signs

In encephalomalacia, nervous signs typically begin between 15-30 days of age. However, the onset of clinical signs has been observed in chicks as young as 7 days old and as late as 56 days old. Signs may include ataxia (loss of balance and falling backward), opisthotonus, torticollis, myoclonus (repeated muscle contractions of the legs), paresis, and prostration. Birds showing neurologic signs often continue to eat.
In exudative diathesis in chicks, capillary walls become abnormally permeable and subcutaneous edema develops. This edema is often located along the ventrum of the thorax, abdomen, and under the mandible. The edema may appear to have a slightly greenish-blue color, due to the hemoglobin breakdown of the leaking red blood cells. If extensive edema develops, birds may have difficulty walking and may stand with their legs spread apart.
In turkeys fed vitamin E deficient diets, abnormalities may develop in their legs. Enlarged hocks and bowing may develop at 2-3 weeks of age. The signs may disappear by 6 weeks of age. However if the deficiency is not corrected, the disorder will reappear in a more severe form by 14-16 weeks of age.
Post-mortem Lesions

On post-mortem examination, vitamin E deficiency associated with the encephalomalacia form may produce grossly visible lesions in the central nervous system. The most common lesions that are visible occur in the cerebellum. The cerebellum may appear softened and swollen and may extend into the foramen magnum. Hemorrhages, ranging from petichiae to ecchymotic, may be visible on the surface of the cerebellum. Lesions in the cerebrum are less common. One to two days after the onset of clinical signs, necrosis may be observed grossly within the brain tissue. Areas of necrosis appear as green to yellow opaque lesions. As the condition progresses, the cerebellum may become pale and small.
In the exudative diathesis form of the disease, subcutaneous edema is usually present under the ventral skin region.
In the muscular dystrophy form of the disease, muscle fibers can undergo degeneration, resulting in pale areas or streaks that may be found within smooth muscles (e.g., gizzard), skeletal muscles (e.g. pectoral/breast), and cardiac muscles. These lesions are more commonly observed in turkeys.
Differential Diagnosis

Nutritional encephalomalacia must be differentiated from avian encephalomyelitis, Newcastle disease, and vitamin B1 deficiency. Exudative diathesis should be differentiated from gangrenous dermatitis.
Diagnosis

Analysis of the feed ration may indicate rancidity or deficiency of vitamin E and/or selenium. Care should be taken to submit truly representative feed samples. Microscopic examination of tissue lesions can be used to confirm suspected cases of vitamin E deficiency, especially for encephalomalacia and exudative diathesis.
Prevention and Control

The relationship between vitamin E and selenium is not fully understood, however selenium appears to play a critical role in protecting capillary membranes from oxidative damage. The prevention and treatment of vitamin E deficiency disorders therefore is closely tied to selenium.
If clinical signs are identified early in the course of exudative diathesis and nutritional myopathy, they are often treated successfully by administering vitamin E and selenium in the feed. Encephalomalacia does not always respond to therapy.
Each of these disorders can be prevented by proper dietary supplementation with vitamin E and selenium. Synthetic antioxidants can prevent encephalomalacia, inorganic selenium can prevent exudative diathesis, and cystine can help in the prevention of muscular dystrophy.
Selected References

1. Charlton, B. R. (ed). 2006. Avian Disease Manual, 6th ed. American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP), 953 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30602-4875.
2. Klasing, K.C. 2008. Nutritional diseases. In Diseases of Poultry, 12th ed. Y.M. Saif. et al. (ed.). Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa.
3. World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) website. 2008. www.oie.int

 

[casportpony]

Thanks! FYI, one of the doctors listed in references, Dr. Charlton, just died from a sudden illness. Smart, nice guy, I will miss talking to him.

-Kathy

 

[ozexpat]

If you are feeding your chickens feed from a supplier, look at the analysis before you run out and buy supplements.

The feed should be completed so there is no need to over feed supplements.

Horse and goat selenium/vit E supplements are designed for grazing animals who don't get enough selenium from fodder in selenium poor soils.

If you have a balanced diet, be it for yourself or your animals, giving excessive nutrients is a waste of money. You just pee them away at the least and get toxic at the extreme.

My only additional comment is it's probably better to use a non-layer feed and offer free calcium in the form of oyster shells if you have roosters.

Birds are very good at knowing how much calcium they need.

 

[casportpony]

If you are feeding your chickens feed from a supplier, look at the analysis before you run out and buy supplements.

The feed should be completed so there is no need to over feed supplements.

Horse and goat selenium/vit E supplements are designed for grazing animals who don't get enough selenium from fodder in selenium poor soils.

If you have a balanced diet, be it for yourself or your animals, giving excessive nutrients is a waste of money. You just pee them away at the least and get toxic at the extreme.

My only additional comment is it's probably better to use a non-layer feed and offer free calcium in the form of oyster shells if you have roosters.

Birds are very good at knowing how much calcium they need.

My peafowl are all fed a non-layer diet and often I notice hens eating a bunch of oyster shell a few hours before they lay. Read something somewhere that said something about birds being able to utilize calcium faster than mammals.

-Kathy

 

[ozexpat]

I make my own feeds only because of economic reasons.

A 50kg Sack of feed is $25 where I can produce a complete feed for $17 per 50kg.

Between pigs goats and poultry I burn 2tons a month. 40 x 8 is a decent savings.

 

[ozexpat]

I had to spend weeks studying nutritional needs and building all kinds of spread sheets before I started.

Now I have it down pretty well. My layers lay eggs that hatch. My goats have all given birth and my gilt pigs are pregnant.

 

[DaveOmak]

Still reading.....

.... These feed manufacturers don't supply "complete" analysis..... So I just wrote Nutrena... Has anyone posted this stuff here.....
When I get a reply, I will post it somewhere... Hopefully so others can find it....

I like the idea of feeding a non-layer feed and adding supplements for "free" feeding.... My chickens will be here in about 3 weeks.... Just trying to do stuff right.....

OZ....... pretty cool about the results of your feeding program.... I'm in AWE of your success..... You'd think the multi-billion dollar companies would pay attention....

If folks said," I feed brand X and my flock is never sick, all the eggs hatch, and all the chicks are healthy etc." Brand X would be the brand to go to..... It is easier to keep a customer than to replace them...

 

[ozexpat]

Still reading.....

.... These feed manufacturers don't supply "complete" analysis..... So I just wrote Nutrena... Has anyone posted this stuff here.....
When I get a reply, I will post it somewhere... Hopefully so others can find it....

I like the idea of feeding a non-layer feed and adding supplements for "free" feeding.... My chickens will be here in about 3 weeks.... Just trying to do stuff right.....

OZ....... pretty cool about the results of your feeding program.... I'm in AWE of your success..... You'd think the multi-billion dollar companies would pay attention....

If folks said," I feed brand X and my flock is never sick, all the eggs hatch, and all the chicks are healthy etc." Brand X would be the brand to go to..... It is easier to keep a customer than to replace them...

Thanks Dave

The business side of my sustainable farm on 1 hectare is really going strong.

While I was there for six weeks I sold enough chickens to cover the cost of my chicken portion of my feed bill since inception of the crazy plan. I have orders for more birds than I can produce this year. I am even getting requests for production brown egg layers in quantities of 500-1000 chicks. Its kind of scary. I think I could set up to hatch about 700 chicks a week without too much increase in capital.

Once I sell the first 40 piglets, I will be infront in the pig department and the 5 goats are just supplemented with feed so I dont cost them out.

I have talked about starting to sell my mix locally just to help out the poorer people in our area. If we really go pro on the chickens I will have to get 10 acres closer to the city.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I never had any long enough to lay! lol and you TOOT! thats awesome! But hey, Lynn Marie, they dont exist unless we see pics LOL!!! seriously awesomeness!!