Post-hatching: critical points that affect the initial development of chickens

The quality of one-day-old chicks needs to be considered even before birth. This is what Biocamp’s Technical and Commercial Director, Paulo Martins, addressed in an article recently published here on Biocamp’s blog. The theme is quite pertinent at a time when we see companies facing omphalitis problems in their flocks – and also when there are constant alerts from organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) to control the use of antimicrobials and the emergence of multiresistant bacteria.

The content presented prepared the ground for what I am talking about in this article: if the care with the quality of the flocks starts before the chicks hatch, it certainly continues in the post-hatching moment, being fundamental for the initial – and future – development of the chickens. But what are the critical points that need to be monitored in this period? That’s what we’ll talk about next.

Biological hazards and physical hazards

When talking about critical points that affect the initial development of the chickens, it is necessary to think about the entire chain involved: the broiler breeders production system, the incubation process, transport to the farms and initial management. And, going further, it is necessary to think about all of this in an integrated way, as they all bring significant impacts to this beginning of the chicken’s life.

What characterizes the quality of one-day-old chicks?

Let’s start at the beginning: what does it mean to have quality? Some criteria need to be met, both when thinking about broiler chickens and laying hens. Below I have listed the main ones:

Keeping this in mind is critical to understanding what impacts the quality of these chicks, especially considering the biological and physical risks to which they are exposed.

As much as the focus of producers is on quality and contamination-free chicks (FREE concept) and the professionals in the poultry sector strive to keep the risks to a minimum, this is not always the case, since the total absence of these biological and physical factors is practically not part of the agribusiness production.

So, you might be asking yourself: what are these risks and what can you do to minimize them? This is what I present below.

Understanding biological hazards

The most common contaminations – and present in our daily life – are those caused by Enterobacteria, such as Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli (APEC) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and by the fungus Aspergillus niger.

The 4 types of contamination are diverse and can originate from the breeders, the hatchery or even the shed where the chicks will be housed.

1. Salmonella

They cause two main problems that, despite having the same pathogen, cause diseases with different impacts:

1.1 Avian paratyphoid: this results in mostly public health problems and not necessarily disease for the chickens – a positive chick with paratyphoid salmonella, therefore, is capable of transforming into broiler chicken;

1.2 Fowl Typhoid and pullorum disease: they have greater lethality, impacting the zootechnical result.

2. Escherichia coli (APEC)

Most agroindustries today have reported some kind of problem with this bacterium, which has a direct role in omphalitis – despite its direct influence, most of the time, it is not the only bacterium that causes the disease.

3. Pseudomonas aeruginosa

As they are silent, companies usually only notice the presence of the bacteria when the problem has already appeared, which can result in mortality or rejection of newborn chicks, which can compromise the result as a whole.

4. Aspergillus niger

The fungus can be both a hatchery and a farm problem.

Physical hazards

Regarding physical hazards, the 6 main ones are: 

1. Dehydration: can happen in both hatchery management and initial farm management. It can be detected by looking at the chick’s leg, which easily shows the degree of hydration – the more exposed the vascularity, the greater the degree of dehydration.
2. Open navel: problem usually related to high incubation temperature, but it can also be bacterial in origin.
3. Locomotives: this type of problem can originate in the hatchery or in the transport of chicks that have their development affected and, automatically, will not be able to bring the expected results.
4. Down: there may be no down, burnt or sticky down. These are not necessarily problems that compromise the chick’s development, so it is important to have common sense and make an assessment that can scale the failures to understand if it really is a critical point.
5. Malformations: chicks that have this type of problem must be completely removed from the hatchery. These chicks should under no circumstances go into the field.
6. Non-uniformity: in this item, once again, common sense must prevail and small variations in weight are acceptable. We always have to think about how much this will really hurt the initial flock development.

These are certainly the main biological and physical risks that can affect the early development of chickens. Still, we must keep in mind that we will rarely house flocks that are completely free from problems. It is up to us technicians not only to assess and quantify their presence, but mainly to identify their origin and visualize how much each problem can compromise the productivity of the flocks.

 Intestinal Microbiota and its relationship to chick quality

The microbiota of chickens is not static. And there are several environmental factors that can interfere with its composition and balance: age, genetics, intestinal segment, sex, feed, environment, hygiene, medications, temperature, litter, among others.

It is composed of microorganisms, especially bacteria, which inhabit the intestines of chickens and are responsible for the production of energy, vitamins, enzymes and play essential functions for their health and performance.

The formation and balance of the intestinal microbiota can be divided into three distinct phases:

1. Colonization: from the end of the incubation period to the 3^rd day of life. Before birth, the microbiota is rudimentary and will significantly increase in quantity and diversity in the first three days of life;
2. Colonization maturation: from the 4^th to the 14^th day, the digestive system and the intestinal microbiota will go through a maturation process together. It is at this point that the digestive system adjusts the production of HCl, bile, enzymes and establishes different pH levels throughout the intestine. As a result, the microbiota will modulate as the maturation process progresses.
3. Maintenance of balance (Eubiosis): after the 15^th day, the microbiota is established. There will be competition between commensal and pathogenic bacteria more intensely, which can jeopardize their balance and, consequently, the health of the chickens. When in balance, the microbiota is responsible for the production of enzymes, bacteriocins, energy and vitamins that will contribute to intestinal integrity and respective zootechnical gain. 

Integrated concepts

There are several factors that impact the quality of one-day-old chicks, and it is ESSENTIAL to think about them in an integrated way. If the microbiota is not static, that is, it is in constant competition, poultry professionals must pay attention to the three phases mentioned above, and, therefore, maintain eubiosis throughout the entire production chain. Care begins on the first day of the breeders’ life (vertical influence) and the control of the microbiota should already be a priority there. Horizontal contamination hazards, which may be present in the litter, for example, should be considered and monitored prior to housing.

So, how to work to promote this balance? Today, prebiotics, phytotherapeutics, organic acids and probiotics offer a direct action in the control of eubiosis and are indicated for this. In addition, other factors such as nutrition, environment and different managements can also favor or not eubiosis. We cannot forget about the antibiotics themselves, which affect the microbiota when there is a need for treatment.

Thus, when designing a health program, these factors must be considered uniquely. Regardless the context in which this production takes place.

Early colonization: benefits

Microbiota modulation is the best way to achieve eubiosis. And the sooner it happens, the better. This means that it must start still in the hatchery, with probiotics of multiple strains or competitive exclusion that will make up the pioneer microbiota, favoring zootechnical gains, stimulating the immune system and hindering the colonization of pathogenic bacteria, which may be present in feed, water and chicken environment.

Thus, early colonization, which can happen either “in ovo” or soon after birth, via spray, is essential for the beginning of the chicken’s life, for the formation of the pioneer microbiota and, automatically, for this chicken to break through the challenges still within the hatchery.

Probiotics

If probiotics are allied to promote this balance of the intestinal microbiota, you may be wondering which one is best for your business. Biocamp’s Colostrum® line is broad and effective to control the various challenges of poultry production.

Discover the Colostrum® line and see how it can contribute to your business!

Bauer Alvarenga, Business Manager at Biocamp