Commercial chicken farming is a cornerstone of Barbadian food production and food security, supplying a steady stream of poultry products to meet Bajan demand. However, alongside increasingly intensive farming comes an elevated risk of diseases and infections that can devastate entire flocks, creating temporary shortages in the industry. This is where “biosecurity” takes on a leading role. But what exactly are we trying to protect our birds from?

Pathogens

path·o·gen

A bacterium, virus, or other microscopic organism that can cause disease in its host.

bi·o·se·cu·ri·ty

Protective measures intended to exclude pathogens from a flock of poultry, thereby minimizing the risk of disease.

Bacteria (plural of ‘bacterium’) are single-celled organisms with diverse shapes and functions, some beneficial and others harmful. They are so small that 1,000,000 of them could fit on the head of a pin. They also replicate very quickly – in ideal conditions, one bacterial cell can turn into 1 BILLION bacteria in 10 hours. Some bacteria aid in gut health and digestion, some are good at breaking down droppings in the litter – but many are disease causing. Because they are microscopic and invisible to the human eye, they can be present on your hands and feet without you knowing… which means they are easily transported from one area to another unintentionally. Biosecurity measures to control the spread of bacteria include hand sanitisers and disinfectant foot baths before and after working in your poultry house. Stepping in a pen where chickens are fighting off a bacterial infection, then stepping outside and going into another pen, will quickly spread the harmful bacteria from one house to the next. Disinfecting your feet and hands will kill the bacteria, preventing them from infecting te second house.

Viruses, in contrast, are smaller and not considered living organisms; they rely on host cells to reproduce. A virus invades a host body, invades individual cells and then uses those cells as a factory to recreate more viruses. Viruses also tend to ‘specialise’ in animal types – infecting many different types of bird but very rarely affecting humans, to use Avian Influenza as an example. Viruses are usually disease-causing, and can be contracted through airborne contact, respiratory droplets from other chickens, wild bird droppings in and around the pen, even through certain insects such as mosquitoes (fowl pox) and darkling beetles that inhabit poultry litter.

Bacterial infections in poultry can be targeted and killed with antibiotics, while viruses are best managed with vaccinations that teach the host body to recognize and fight off the virus as it invades. Some viruses are treatable with anti-viral medications, but many poultry viruses have no practical medication treatment, leaving vaccination as the best prevention against disease and mortality.

Fungi (plural of ‘fungus’) are diverse, non-photosynthetic plant-like organisms that range from microscopic molds to towering mushrooms. They play vital roles in decomposition, symbiosis, and food production; however they can also produce poisons (mycotoxins) as a method of self-defense against being eaten, and they are not picky about where they choose to grow. Fungi can be found in corn (which is used to make poultry feed), they grow in crushed bagasse using left over sugars as food, and like plants they replicate through creating ‘seeds’. Fungal seeds, called ‘spores’, are microscopic, floating around in the air until they find a suitable place to settle and take root.

• When baby chicks breathe in certain fungal spores, death can follow shortly after as the spores become fungal growths inside their lungs. This is also called ‘aspergillosis’.
• Bagasse that has not been aged will retain sugars that encourage fungal growth, leading to potential infection. Chipped up plant material available from recycling centers, unless aged or treated with copper sulphate, can have the same effect.
• Moldy feed is excess fungal growth that can cause severe poisoning effects on chickens – the buildup of poisons can cause long term nerve and joint damage and can ultimately kill the bird.

Prevention of fungal growth is the easiest management practice – don’t use moldy feed, don’t use fresh bagasse or recycled plant matter, DO clean your feeders on a regular schedule, and DO clean up any spilled feed in the litter. The longer it stays there the more chance it will grow a happy family of fungi which your birds will eventually eat.

Conclusion

Biosecurity is critical to good results in poultry farming – the negative impact these microscopic organisms can have on your farm and on your financial results is worth protecting against. In countries that are being impacted by the aggressive ‘Highly Pathogenic’ Avian Influenza, or HPAI, the mandatory response to an infection is complete depopulation – killing the entire flock of birds regardless of age or size of the flock. Biosecurity in these countries has become a business-preservation requirement as much as it is a protection for the health of the poultry in the house.

If we think of biosecurity as protection against massive financial loss, we are more likely to give it the attention it deserves!