About the author

Maaten de Gussem

Global Poultry Consultant
Academic Adviser Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
University of Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases

Maarten De Gussem graduated as a Doctor of Vetenirary Medicine from University of Ghent Veterinary School in 2000 with a thesis on Infectious Bursal Disease Virus at the University of Arkansas, USA.

In 2009, Vetworks was founded by Maarten, servicing the poultry industry with a global team of specialists and providing support on poultry health topics all over the world, with focus on mycoplasmosis, general gut health and coccidiosis.

He began working in the field at DEGUDAP group practice in France, The Netherlands and Belgium, dealing with layers, breeders, broilers and turkeys. In 2001, Maarten joined the division of J&J Global Poultry Technical Manager at Janssen Animal Health, with focus on coccidiosis, gut health, helminthosis, histomonosis and red mite.

Besides his work at Vetworks, Maarten is also an academic adviser at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University. And a member of scientific committees of Poultry Mycoplasma Conference and of IHSIG Conference on Poultry Intestinal Health.

Further information on the book

CONTENTS:
Introduction
SECTION ONE: Seeing more by looking more closely

• Picking up the signals
• Using the signals
• Senses
• Anatomy
• Feed structure: intake and digestion
• Phase feeding
• What the figures tell you
• Frequency
• Main parameters

SECTION TWO: The broiler's environment 

• Outdoor climate determies type of housing
• Indoor climate
• Other husbandry systems
• Ventilation and heating
• Temperature + moisture = heat
• Comfortable climate
• Ventilation systems
• Effective temperature (wind chill factor) and velocity
• Assessing ventilation in the broiler house
• Ventilation
• Water consumption
• Ensuring water quality
• Vulnerable: young chicks
• Water/feed ratio and gut health
• Patricles in drinking water (biofilm)
• Floors and litter
• Litter quality
• Light
• Biosecurity for profit

SECTION THREE: Preparing for the new cycle

• Stocking density
• Useful information from the slaughter report
• Clean out time reduces infection pressure
• Cleaning and disinfecting
• Don't only clean inside the house
• Vermin
• Chick paper
• Cool, fresh water
• Transport risks: hygiene and stress

SECTION FOUR: Week 1: Getting off to a good start

• Quality of a day-old chicks
• The first day
• Emty trays carefully
• 'Cold-blooded' chicks
• A good spread
• Eating well
• Drinking well
• To measure is to know!
• Yolk inflammation or navel infection
• Weak chicks
• Identifying causes of death

SECTION FIVE: Week 2: Further growth and development

• Points to watch out for: behaviour
• Points to watch out for: physical traits
• No more than six hours of darkness
• Light intensity
• Vaccination
• Vaccination methods
• Good vaccination - a science in itself
• Keep the use of antibiotics to a minimum

SECTION SIX: Week 3: Gut health and development

• In one end...
• Signs from droppings
• Orange matter
• Feed ingredients
• Feed additives/growth promoters
• Wet manure
• Coccidiosis
• Anticoccidial rotation programme
• Treating gut problems
• Risks at feed transitions

SECTION SEVEN: Week 4: Focusing on breathing

• Anatomy
• Indoor climate
• Above 30c: danger zone
• Breathing is silent - problems aren't

SECTION EIGHT: Week 5: Leg quality

• Remove lame birds
• Lameness and its causes
• Enterococcal infection
• Feet and hocks
• Prevent footpad lesions
• Skin scratches with leg problems
• Litter quality
• Litter as a source of heat
• Wet manure due to excess urine

SECTION NINE: Final phase and slaughter 

• Increase in mortality rate
• Withdrawal period causing more coccidiosis?
• Other husbandry systems and breeds
• Diseases in older broilers
• Catching, loading and beyond
• Preparing for loading
• The art of catching
• Arrival at the processing plant
• Sold hot or cold?
• White and dark meat

SECTION TEN: Parent birds

• Slowing growth during rearing
• Reaching sexual maturity simultaneously
• Males
• Transmitting disease from female to broiler
• Chick immunity 
• Young breeder flock
• Hatching eggs

Index

Delivery

This book weighs: 630g

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