A guide to youth livestock producers

Rabbits and Poultry

Daily Care and Management

January 2008

Quality Assurance

What?: -A degree of excellence that pledges or makes a promise to consumers Why?: -Increases food quality -Increases food product safety awareness -Increases product value -Increases awareness of proper care and management

Improves Consumer Confidence and Promotes the Industry!!

Food Supply Continuum

You are a producer as well as a consumer!

Why are you here?

*Majority of poultry and rabbits produced in the world are for meat and egg production •Although you may not think of your animals in that way, chances are, at least some of your animals will be used for meat and egg production

Activity: Ensuring Product Quality

Animal Well Being

-Includes proper: -housing, management, nutrition, disease, prevention and treatment, responsible care, and humane handling -Ensures good production from animals with proper care and management

Daily Care and Management of:

Rabbits and Poultry

What Breed Should I Get?

Pet: -Netherland Dwarf, Mini Lop, Holland Lop, and Dutch -Small to Medium breeds, 2 ½ to 5 pounds Meat: -New Zealand, Californian, Satin, Champagne D’Argent -Medium breeds, 8-12 pounds -Can also be raised for fur

Wool:

-Angoras, American Fuzzy Lops, and Jersey Woolies -Medium Breeds, 8-12 pounds -Wool requires daily grooming

Where Should I Keep My Rabbit?

Housing: -Called a hutch—Only one animal per hutch -About one square foot for every pound they weigh -Out of sunlight; away from predators, other animals, and bad weather -Provide a small space for hiding -Wire flooring with small grids for droppings to fall through -A section of floor should be solid to prevent sores on the feet

How Do I Feed and Water?

Feeding: -Can use hopper, trough, or crock that holds a daily food supply -Feed should have 15-17% protein; Fresh grass hay can be fed -Never feed green feeds or fresh leaf feeds -Natural feeding times are dawn and dusk Watering: -Water consumption is about 1 gallon a day -Use water system that doesn’t run out or get contaminated

What Kind of Care Should I Provide?

Daily: -Feed and Water -Observe rabbits and their environment -Keep things clean Weekly: -Clean cages, feeders and water systems -Check supplies and rabbit’s health Monthly: -Check toenails -Update written records -Provide medication if needed for illness -Check fans and air vents

How Do I Breed My Rabbit?

When?: -First breeding depends on size of rabbit -Smaller breeds-5 to 6 months; Medium-6 ½ to 7 months; Larger- 8 to 9 months -Rebreed when litter is 7 weeks old How?: -Take the doe to the buck’s hutch -Breeding should occur at once-a second mating 6 hours later can increase litter size -Test-mate at 18 days-refusal, whining, and escape attempts mean she’s bred -Gestation length-28 to 32 days Nest Box: Keeps babies warm and dry; large enough for doe & babies

What Breed Should I Get?

Three types of chickens: -Egg Production: *White Leghorns (white eggs), Golden Comets and Red Sex Links (brown eggs) -Eggs and Meat: *Plymouth Rocks, Sussex, and Wyandottes -Meat: *Cornish Cross, Plymouth Rocks, White Jersey

What Kind of Housing is Needed?

Purpose: -Housing units should protect from heat, cold, rain, predators -Proper ventilation, heat lamps, food and water, lights Housing Unit: -Ventilation: Need windows and doors -Space: 1 ½ to 3 square feet per chicken -Nest: Have “shelves” for nests, not for meat chickens; one per four hens -Flooring: litter consisting of dry sawdust, peanut hulls, or rice hulls, hay is poor litter

What Should I Feed?

Feeding: Type and amount depend on size and breed of bird -Feed should be free of debris -”Complete” feed-all the vitamins and nutrients are included -Medicated feed used in place of “complete” feed when illness breaks out in the flock *Antibiotics are commonly found in medicated feeds Randomly place feed throughout the chicken house. Feeders should be tall enough to prevent contamination.

Where Do I Place the Water?

Water: -Clean, fresh -Free of debris -Place in outside run, if possible -Medicated water- can be used instead of medicated feed; *talk with your veterinarian about the right product to use Randomly place water outside the chicken house.

Water container should be tall enough to prevent Contamination.

What is Avian Influenza?

Also known as bird flu Respiratory disease of birds that is caused by a virus -Wild birds and migratory waterfowl carry the virus, but may not show signs Poultry Products: Properly cooking products has no danger of acquiring AI -Virus destroyed by heat of normal cooking -Egg shells are washed and sanitized before packing Humans and Bird Flu: Humans can only contract by direct contact with infected chickens or eating sick chickens not cooked properly -Virus doesn’t have ability to pass from human-to-human www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/qa.htm

How Do I Prevent Diseases?

Set mousetraps: Rodents are a problem in all chicken coops -Rodents transfer disease and bacteria Disinfect: Mist shoes with disinfectant -Clean waterers and feeders regularly -Fog coop weekly -Once you use a paper towel, throw it away

Disease Prevention Continued…

Chickens: -Keep young chicken from older -Keep wild and waterfowl out -Quarantine sick birds

Why Do I Need a Veterinarian?

Develop a Vet/Client/Patient Relationship

-Ask questions -Consult for problems and everyday care -Best way to maintain animals as a whole -Extra label medications can be used -Assists in keeping diseases out of herd -Gives the public a better image of the industry

Review

What different types breeds can you get?

Where is the best location for food and water? Why?

How do you breed a rabbit?

What are some biosecurities that are done for chickens?

This concludes the first section, you can continue on if you wish to test out.

Remember, you are raising an animal that

could be used for food production,

so proper care and management are important to ensure high standards for food safety and animal care.

Handling Rabbits

Removing from cage: 1) Determine attitude 2) Face rabbit away from front of cage 3) Grasp loose skin around shoulders and roll to one side Carrying: 1) Carry rabbit like a football -Head should be tucked under arm -Place other hand under rump NEVER PICK UP A RABBIT BY ITS EARS NEVER CARRY BY BACK OF NECK

Rabbit Carcass Quality

-Reduce Stress -Avoid too much handling -Keep comfortable -Provide good nutrition -Penned rabbits vs caged rabbits Meat Quality: -Keep animal comfortable and with little to no stress -Stress before harvest can cause meat to become dark colored, tough, and dry -Temperature, humidity, noise, and lack of food and water all increase stress *Practice humane handling and transport

Transporting

Changes during transportation can affect meat quality -Individual cages reduce fighting -Food and water deprivation -Out of own environment Cages should be well ventilated to keep animals cool Shade should be provided-keep out of direct sunlight Keep transport time to a minimum Transport to avoid injury or suffering

Diseases and Illnesses

Purchase a healthy rabbit from a reliable breeder for disease prevention!

Diseases and Illnesses: -Colds and sniffles, pneumonia, diarrhea, mastitis, slobbers, sore hocks, ear mites, ringworm, buck teeth Prevention: -Check animal daily-food, water, fur, breathing, nasal discharge, ear carriage (way they are held) -Good husbandry

Develop a VCPR-vet/client/patient relationship!!!

Poultry

Hatching Chicks

Incubation: -Temperature 99.5-100 degrees F -Good ventilation to remove CO2 and provide oxygen -Turn the egg every hour for first 14 days Processing: -Handle young chicks carefully -Ventilate housing unit well -Temperature above 74 degrees F -Place on feed and water shortly after hatching

Beak Trimming

Cannibalism is common in hatcheries Beak trimming reduces cannibalism Not usually necessary in broiler chicks -less aggressive -shorter life span The chick learns to eat and drink and reduces stress Important to do humanely

Handling Poultry

Catching: -Remove feed 8-12 hours before slaughter -Dim lights or catch at night Handling: -Provide support -Support breast in palm and restrain legs with fingers or by holding both legs Carrying: -Carry by both legs or both wings -Minimize time bird has head down

Loading and Transporting

Loading: -Use clean, properly constructed crates -Amount of stocking crates depends on: -size crate, size birds, transit time, and temperature -Crate if full when birds can rest comfortably Transporting: -Vehicles should be shaded, ventilated, and cooled during hot weather -Secure load, cover from weather if necessary -Minimize travel time

Diseases

Marek’s Disease: -Vaccinations given day they hatch; chicken 2 to 16 weeks susceptible -SQ at back of neck -Prevents appearance of disease tumors and paralysis Newcastle Disease: -Vaccinations given by drinking water, eye drops, or nose drops -Usually combined with bronchitis vaccine at 10-35 days -Breeders and layers are retreated at 18-20 weeks

Monitoring Mortality

When you have large numbers of birds, there will be many birds that don’t survive -Keep daily records depending on size of flock -Birds that are crippled, immobile or sick should be removed immediately Dead bird disposal: 1) Rendering-road side pick up with trucks 2) Composting-the final product can be added to the soil Other ways of disposal: Incineration Burials

Injections

Rabbits: -There are no required vaccinations -Medication may still need to be given through injection -Correct medication prescribed by veterinarian -Use 20-30 gauge needle -Follow directions on medication label Poultry: -Some vaccinations necessary -Timing important -Consult veterinarian for proper medicine and procedure After injections, needles should be placed in a separate container and taken to the vet’s office for disposal

Medications

Subcutaneous (SQ): -Just under the skin -Pull the skin out so needle doesn’t enter muscle Intramuscular (IM): -Given in the muscle -Irritation to muscle and may leave lesions -Decreased carcass value Intravenous (IV): -Medication directly in bloodstream -Usually done by veterinarian Oral: -Given by mouth

Activity: Administering Injections

Review

Carcass Quality is important for all animals Handling of rabbits and poultry is necessary to protect the animal from injury to you and them Animals for slaughter should have a comfortable environment for transporting Disease prevention is important to prevent disease from spreading Proper injection techniques and medications are important