How to control cellulitis on poultry farms
Maintaining good husbandry habits
The broad tenets of good shed management will help to keep cellulitis at bay. Overcrowding causes stress which leads to scratching and should be avoided where possible – this includes ensuring good access to food and water to prevent competition and fighting over feeders and drinker lines. Shed walking routines can also be performed in a way that limits stress placed on a flock – rather than walking through the middle of the shed, causing panic amongst the birds, start on the perimeter and gradually walk circuits inwards to the middle of the shed. Similarly, the good practice of keeping litter as dry as possible will prevent the bird’s skin becoming soft and more susceptible to wounding. Wet litter also harbours bacteria which can directly enter a wound via the claws of a bird.
Similarly, the good practice of keeping litter as dry as possible will prevent the bird’s skin from becoming soft and more susceptible to wounding. Wet litter also harbours bacteria which can directly enter a wound via the claws of a bird.
Good feather coverage prevents skin damage
As with many poultry conditions, a healthy gut biome plays a large part in limiting cellulitis. A compromised gut function will lead to birds shedding increased amounts of bacteria through their droppings, and the environmental burden rises sharply, increasing the likelihood of cellulitis infection. However, what we’d like to focus on in this piece is the crucial role of feather coverage in preventing skin damage to birds, and how nutrition might be used to boost the development of feathers in young birds.
Recent phases of the genetic development of broilers have possibly resulted in feather development becoming slower, particularly in strains such as the Ross 308 that are slow to feather anyway. It is not uncommon for a male Ross 308 to be only lightly feathered at 20 days – this is not affording the bird much protection against scratches or broken skin.
We believe this late feathering could well be one of the reasons why there has been an increase in the incidence of cellulitis. By focusing on maximising nutrition that can help feather development, we could ensure that birds are better equipped to withstand the odd scratch, thereby reducing the risk of cellulitis. While there are some environmental factors that play a role in feathering status, improper nutrition is the main cause of poor feather quality.
What are feathers and how are they made?
Even though feathers only account for 3% to 5% of a bird’s bodyweight, they cover 75% of the body surface. Feathers play a vital role in keeping a bird warm and protecting the delicate layer of skin underneath from injury. Feathers are composed of 89-97% keratin proteins, that are cross-linked with disulfide bonds, making them very strong. Feathers also have high amounts of sulfur amino acids. They are a very complex part of the bird – development of the feathers and the feather follicles starts during the first few days of embryonic growth.