appropriate farm practices for livestock and poultry during extended dry spell

PCARRD Information Bulletin Series No.331/2010

Appropriate Farm Practices for Livestock

and Poultry During Extended Dry Spell

Philippine Council for Agriculture, Foresty and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

About PCARRD

The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) is a sectoral council under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Established in 1972, PCARRD formulates policies, plans, and programs for science and technology-based development in the agriculture, forestry, and natural resources (AFNR) sectors. It coordinates, evaluates, and monitors the national research and development (R&D) efforts in AFNR. It also allocates government and external funds for R&D and generates resources to support its programs.

The first DOST council to be stamped with an ISO 9001:2000 (now 9001:2008) certification for its quality management system in 2004 and conferred the Philippine Quality Award Level 1 (Commitment to Quality Management) in 2009, PCARRD is engaged in active partnerships with international, regional, and national organizations and funding institutions for joint R&D, human resource development and training, technical assistance, and exchange of scientists, information, and technologies.

The Council supports and manages the National Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Network (NARRDN), composed of national multi- and single-commodity and regional R&D centers, cooperating stations, and specialized agencies. As such, PCARRD has been a potent arm in catalyzing the Philippine AFNR sectors toward self-sufficiency and global competitiveness.

MAILING ADDRESS PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR AGRICULTURE,FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCESRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENTPaseo de Valmayor, TimuganLos Baños, Laguna, Philippines 4030TELEPHONES Los Baños - (63) (049) 536-0014

to 536-0015/536-0017 to 536-0019; 536-5907; 536-2330;536-2305; 536-2383; 536-1956;

536-6980FAX Los Baños - (63) (049) 536-0016/536-7922DOST, Bicutan, Taguig City - (63) (02) 837-1651E-MAIL [email protected] http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear reader:

Information included in this material were solicited from experienced and progressive livestock and poultry raisers, Magsasaka Siyentistas (MS), researchers, and technical experts from within and outside PCARRD. Additional information were taken from publications and online sources.

This publication aims to ease the trouble experienced by animal raisers during extended dry spell.

Sincerely yours,

PATRICIO S. FAYLONExecutive Director

ISO 9001:2008

PCARRD Information Bulletin Series No. 331/2010

Appropriate Farm Practices for Livestock and Poultry

During Extended Dry Spell

Philippine Council for Agriculture, Foresty and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

Los Baños, Laguna2010

ii

First Edition 2010

ISSN 00116-7736

Bibiliographic Citation:Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and

Development. Appropriate farm practices in livestock and poultry during extended dry spell. Los Baños, Laguna: PCARRD-DOST. 14p. -(PCARRD Information Bulletin Series No. 331/2010)

iii

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................ 1

Practical Tips to Mitigate the Negative Effects of Heat Stress ....................... 2

White Chickens ............................................................................................. 2

Native and Other Colored Range Chickens ...................................................5

Swine ............................................................................................................. 6

Cattle, Buffalo, Goat, and Sheep ...................................................................7

Practical Technologies to Mitigate the Negative Effects of Heat Stress ........ 10

Production Team ....................................................................................... 14

Appropriate Farm Practices in Livestock and Poultry during Extended Dry Spell 1

Introduction

A hot environment can cause discomfort and stress in farm animals, which commonly result in reduced productivity or mortality due to the following physiological and behavioral problems:

Animals lose appetite when they feel hot. Therefore, feed intake is •significantly reduced to a level below their daily requirement. Panting, a natural reaction of animals to maintain their normal body •temperature, uses up energy. Hence on a hot day, part of the energy that would otherwise be used for productive or reproductive purposes, are expended and wasted on this physiological response to heat.Stress in general can lower the animals’ resistance or immune •competence, thus making them more susceptible to diseases.Dehydration as a result of inadequate drinking water and excessive •evaporation of body fluids can lead to electrolyte imbalance and abnormal physiological processes.In severe cases, a highly elevated body temperature can lead to heat •stroke and death.

An animal that is under stress will perform poorly — which is translated to less gain in weight, lower milk production, lower egg production, or higher incidences of reproductive failures as the case may be. There is not much a farmer can do about long periods of dry spell except to relieve the animals’ discomfort from the extremely hot weather.

2 Appropriate Farm Practices in Livestock and Poultry during Extended Dry Spell

Practical Tips to Mitigate the Negative Effects of Heat Stress

The following are practical tips that animal raisers can do to reduce the negative effects of heat stress:

Recommendation/Intervention Science Behind the Practice

White Chickens

Provide cool drinking water at •all times; provide additional drinkers, if needed.

- prevents dehydration- helps regulate body

temperature

Allow maximum air circulation •or ventilation inside the house and pens. Fully open sheds with drop-down curtains may prove beneficial.

- allows outward movement of warm air and inward movement of cooler air

Insulate galvanized iron (GI) •roofing with commercially available insulators or appropriate local materials (e.g., rice straw, cogon blades, coconut fronds, etc.).

- provides insulation to minimize radiation of heat from GI roof into the house



Paint outer side of GI roofing •with white or light colored paint.

- white or light colors reflect light and heat more efficiently

Reduce stocking density (by a •third for broilers and as much as half for breeders).

- gives animals more space and reduce heat generated within the pens

- allows quicker dissipation of body heat

- compared to layers, reducing stocking density is more critical in broilers because of the latter’s bigger body mass, and because they are very young, broilers’ thermoregulatory mechanism is presumably less developed



Cull unproductive or undesirable •birds.

- decongests the housing to allow more space allowance and reduce heat production

Avoid stocking when El Niño or •extended dry spell is expected.

- prevents losses due to poor production performance and stock morbidity and mortality

Give more feeds during the •cooler part of the day (early morning, late afternoon or at night).

- birds in general eat more when they are more comfortable

Provide vitamins and •electrolytes.

- boosts resistance and immune-response

- vitamin C plays a significant role in calcium utilization which is important for layers

- electrolytes help birds maintain normal body fluid levels

Note: It is best to add the vitamins and electrolytes to the water in the early morning so that animals get the needed boost before the temperature gets warmer; besides, some of the vitamins and substances in the electrolyte mix degrade with heat or exposure to bright light.

Remove accumulated manure •under the chicken house.

- minimizes heat generated from the decomposing manure

- minimizes exposure of birds to toxic fermentation gases that would aggravate the already stressful condition



Native and Other Colored Range Chickens

Provide cool drinking water at all •times; provide additional drinkers if needed.

- prevents dehydration - helps maintain normal body

temperature

Allow birds to range.• - birds can pick feeds from the range and seek shelter in the shade or bushes

Provide grain supplements.• - builds up body energy reserves which are needed in combating stress

Vaccinate birds against prevalent •diseases.

- protects the birds from viral disease challenge (e.g., Newcastle Disease (NCD)



Swine Most recommendations for white/commercial chicken are applicable for swine.

Reduce stocking density by •20–30%.

- gives pigs more space to move around and minimize heat load inside the house

Minimize bathing the animals •other than the regular practice of cleaning if ventilation is not good.

- frequent bathing or wetting will result in higher relative humidity (RH) inside the house, causing more discomfort to the pigs if ventilation is inadequate

- high RH together with high temperature also encourages multiplication of pathogenic organisms



Cattle, Buffalo, Goat, and Sheep

Provide cool drinking water at all •times; provide additional drinkers if needed.

- prevents dehydration - helps regulate body

temperature

Provide salt licks in tubes or •blocks.

- encourages animals to drink - the salt can help maintain the

animals’ electrolyte balance

Allow buffaloes to cool in rivers •or mud wallows.

- dissipates body heat and gives cooling effect

- black or dark colors absorb more light and heat; this is also true for dark-colored cattle and other animals (animals on free range at least would seek shelter under the shade of trees)

Bring tethered animals in the •shade when the heat in the open starts to get intense

- reduces unnecessary stress due to exposure to direct sunlight



For cattle and buffaloes used •as draft animals, schedule work (land preparation, cultivation, hauling, etc.) early in the morning or late afternoon.

- prevents heat stress and optimizes animal’s productivity when temperature is lower

- work increases production of metabolic heat that would be difficult to dissipate if ambient temperature is already high

Inject with vitamins ADE* once •during the hot season (especially recommended for breeder and lactating animals).

- builds up/boosts resistance - enhances appetite and

increases feed intake, thus helps address inadequacy of nutrients and vitamins

Provide formulated concentrate •feed mix of about 250–500 g per head per day for goat and sheep; double the amount for cattle and buffaloes (especially recommended for breeder and lactating animals).

- ensures intake of essential nutrients and maintains normal body condition, thus maintaining acceptable productivity levels

- aids in conversion of nutrients from fibrous feeds into energy for various metabolic processes

Provide vitamin B complex •(especially recommended for breeder and lactating animals).

- enhances absorption and utilization of energy, protein, and minerals

If available, provide urea-•molasses-mineral block, or make one if ingredients are available.

- enhances microbial activity of the rumen and makes nutrients in fibrous feeds available to the animals



Feed ruminants with crop •residues and food processing by-products such as:

copra cake, sapal ng niyog, - banana and pineapple peelings, etc. (high energy content)sapal ng taho (high protein - content)

- utilizes crop residues/by-products that would otherwise go to waste

- improves palatability of crop residues and feed intake

- increases digestible energy content

banana trunks (high moisture - content)tree leaves and prunings, - e.g., acacia, gmelina, camachile, mango, caimito, jackfruit, durian, etc.flag leaves and other parts - above the corn ears after detasselingresidues from newly - harvested cropsrejects from convenience or - snack food processors

- enhances digestibility of other nutrients

When available, sprinkle crop •residues with molasses.

- makes up for poor nutrient quality of available forage

Provide concentrate •supplementation like corn, rice bran, corn grits, formulated feeds, etc.

- enhances digestibility of poor-quality forage

Shear or trim the wool of sheep.• - enhances dissipation of body heat and lightens the animals’ load

Remove piles of manure inside •or under the pen especially if ruminants are held in complete confinement.

- minimizes heat generated from the decomposing manure

- minimizes production of toxic fermentation gasses


Practical Technologies to Mitigate the Negative Effects of Heat Stress

While commercial farms may be more prone to the adverse effects of El Niño or extend dry spell due to their high stocking density, technology has been developed to provide optimum comfort to the animals. In large farms, houses are designed to allow reasonable control of the indoor micro-climate with most of the following features: good ventilation from adequate floor height (in the case of chicken houses and goat pens); high, often insulated roofs; provision of tunnel ventilation, industrial fans, and even air conditioning for highly prized breeder animals; mist sprayers or sprinkler systems, running water, pools or wallows; and standby generator in case of power failure. Moreover, commercial farm operators are also generally better able to provide for additional inputs such as electrolytes and supplemental vitamins to boost the animals’ tolerance to heat stress. Nevertheless, with or without El Niño, the adoption of several practical technologies enumerated below will be beneficial to an animal raiser in good stead. The value of such practices will even be more appreciated in the face of El Niño:


Design the animal pen(s) 1. following the required floor and roof heights.

ensures good ventilation•


Table I. Housing requirements for livestock and poultry.

A. Small Ruminants Completely Confined Partially Confined

Floor elevation from the ground at least 1 m at least 1 m

Roof height from the floor 2 m 2 m

Space requirement per animal

Breeder buck 2–3 m2 1.5 m2

Expectant and nursing does with unweaned kids

2–3 m2 1 m2

Breeder females 1.2 m2 0.8 m2

Growers 1–1.5 m2 0.5 m2

B. Poutry Meat Type Egg Type

Floor elevation from the ground at least 1.8 m at least 1.8 m

Roof height from the floor 2.4 m 2.4–3.0 m

Space requirement per 100 birds

Growing stage 11.3 m2 7.5 m2 (under slated floor)11.5 m2 (under litter floor)

Laying stage 3 layer per cage (cage dimension is 0.38 m x 0.53 m)

C. Swine

Roof height 6.8 m from the ground (monitor type of roofing

Recommended floor space per animal Breeder boars with mating area: 6.5 m2

Breeder gilt/sows: 2.0–2.7 m2

Growing to finishing: 0.6–1.2 m2



Provide adequate floor area 2. according to recommended stocking density.

overcrowding of animals is •avoided

If running water is available, 3. install underground water lines.

pipes are not exposed to heat, •thus water is kept cool

If raising ruminants, establishing 4. a legume-grass forage garden or feed bank is a must.

Plant species with high •crude protein (CP) content, e.g., rensonii, flemingia, trichantera, mulberry, etc.Include drought tolerant •grass species such as mara-mais and other hardy local plants that animals prefer to eat.

assures sustainable supply of •quality forage throughout the year including the lean months



Process surplus forage into silage 5. or hay. Rice straw keeps well if piled in a mandala; peanut hay, corn stover and husks should be stored in a shed.

provides sustained supply of •quality feeds through the dry summer months when forage is scarce

Plant shady trees near the 6. animal pens and in and around the pasture areas.

helps keep temperature down •during hot weather by keeping bare ground shaded thus minimizing radiation of heat, making confined animals more comfortable provides a welcome shade for •animals on pasture

Plant multipurpose or 7. leguminous tree species (MPTSs) such as Sesbania (‘katuray’), pigeon pea (‘kadios’), ‘ipil-ipil’, ‘madre de cacao’, etc.

supplements available forage•most MPTSs survive the dry •summer months when some of the annual legume or grass forages have died downprovides additional shade•

For more information please visit/call

the LIVESTOCK RESEARCH DIVISION (LRD)

PCARRD-DOSTPaseo de Valmayor, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Tel. Nos.: 63) (049) 536-0014 to 536-0015; 536-0017 to 536-0019; 536-5907; 536-2330; 536-2305; 536-2383; 536-1956; 536-6980 Local 230, 236 and 268

Fax Nos. (63) (049) 536-0016/536-7922

e-mail us at [email protected] visit us at http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph


PRODUCTION TEAM

WriterINES VIVIAN D. DOMINGOScience Research Specialist

Livestock Research Division (LRD)

EditorsANNA MARIE P. ALO

Senior Science Research Specialist, LRD

JOEL ENERISTO A. JOVENSenior Science Research Specialist

Applied Communication Division (ACD)

PAUL JERSEY G. LERONScience Research Specialist, ACD

AdvisersDr. EDWIN C. VILLAR

Chief Science Research Specialist, LRD

Dr. SYNAN S. BAGUIOSupervising Science Research Specialist, LRD

LayoutERIC E. PEREZ

Science Research Specialist, LRD

ISO 9001:2008

ISSN 00116-7736

appropriate farm practices for livestock and poultry during extended dry spell

Government & Nonprofit