Although there are plenty of causes for your chick to die prematurely, we delve into some important ones;
- Genetic
- Management
- Nutritional
- Diseases
1. GENETIC
This is important to note because there are about 21 lethal mutations in the fowl. The lethal is more pronounced in homozygotes, especially during the third week of incubation. The greater the abnormality caused by the lethal gene, the earlier the age of death. Most creepers die on the 3rd or 4th day of incubation and most talid embryos on the 18th to the 10th day.
Sticky embryos die during the last 4 days of incubation and about half of the naked chicks die 2 or 3 days before hatching time, Congenital loco is lethal within a week after hatching, and congenital tremor kills 90% of the affected chicks within a month. If the eggs from a control and a carrier flock are incubated under the same conditions, the maximum possible difference in hatching will be about 25%.
2. MANAGEMENT
A. Failure of High-temperature Management:
Dehydration – The body of young chicks comprises about 70% water, so when temperatures remain continuously high it causes a loss of water from the body. When water loss reaches about 10%, the chick dies due to dehydration.
Pasting – This is another problem caused by high temperature. Here the feaces become stacked around the vent area causing blockage of the vent ultimately resulting in death.
B. Effects of Low Brooding Temperature
Chilling of brooding pneumonia – Temperatures below normal cause pneumonia problems in which the color of the lungs becomes blue.
Smothering – During low temperature chicks huddle together to maintain warm body temperature in which young chicks which result in subsequent smothering and death
NB: To prevent the problems caused by dehydration, pasting, chilling, and smothering we should adjust the brooding room temperature 24 hours before putting the chicks in the brooding room and during the brooding period. Also, try to maintain the normal temperature throughout the period and the areas.
C. Effects of Poisoning
Mortality due to poisoning is also high in young chicks and here are the different types;
Feed Poisoning – Fungal-contaminated feed and toxic material in feed causes high chick mortality
Salt Poisoning – Excess salt in drinking water and feed can be another cause.
Gas Poisoning – High concentration of different toxic gases
Ammonia – This causes irritation of mucus membrane and eyes, low feed consumption, reduced growth rate, loss of cilia in the trachea, hemorrhages, and death at levels above 100ppm, so its concentration should always be less than 25ppm.
Carbon Monoxide(CO) – CO combines with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin which is unable to transport oxygen. The lethal concentration of CO is 2000-3600ppm.
Carbon Dioxide(CO2) – Gas goes beyond 30%, causing suffocation and subsequent death.
D. Effects of Injuries
If chicks are not handled carefully during various operations it causes injuries and death which are sexing, vaccination, dubbing, and debeaking.
E. Effects of Starvation
Young chicks do not have fat storage to fulfill body needs during starvation, so it results in high chick mortality.
F. Effects of Less Floor, Feeded and Water Spaces
Less floor space is another cause of mortality. Chicks crowd causing dampness of the litter material which become a suitable site for the multiplication of micro organism, causing coccidiosis.
G. High Relative Humidity
High humidity in brooding causes the dampness of litter material which facilitates the growth of microorganisms causing infections.
H. Predators
If brooding houses are not properly constructed against predators they also cause death e.g. rats, dogs, cats, etc.
3. NUTRITIONAL
A. Water
Water plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and performance of the birds. It acts as a transport medium for nutrients and metabolic end products. It helps in maintaining deep body temperature during hot weather. Water also contributes to the weight gain of the birds and also fulfills the minor deficiency of material like Na, etc.
B. Fat Soluble Vitamins Deficiency
Severe deficiency of Vitamins A, D, E, and K causes death but minor deficiency causes cessation of growth, ruffled feather lacrimation, rickets, encephalomalacia, exudative diathesis, and anemia.
C. Water Soluble Vitamins Deficiency
Severe deficiency of Vitamins B-Complex and C causes death, but minor deficiency causes loss of weight, poor feathering, poor growth, dermatitis, perosis, nervous signs, and anemia.
4. DISEASES
If biosecurity measures are not maintained then there is a great chance of disease outbreaks because the young chicks lack immunity.
A. Omphalitis
The bacterial disease affects the chicks during and after hitching and spreads navel infection characterized by inflamed skin. In the navel area, soft, flabby, and distended abdomen, vent posting, foul smell, and carcass opening due to unabsorbed yolk.
B. Pullorum
It is an acute infectious and fatal bacterial disease of chicks characterized by ruffled feathers, white diarrhea, labor breathing, chirping, and death.
C. Salmonellosis
A group of acute rapidly spreading diseases affecting all ages characterized by a rise in body temperature, septicemia, omphalitis, hepatitis, enlargement of spleen, arthritic, and death.
D. Colibacillosis
It is an acute septicemia disease caused by E-coil affecting all ages and characterized by involvement of all systems, poor feed con
