The document discusses the management of poultry during winter months. Key points include maintaining proper ventilation to prevent respiratory diseases, keeping litter dry and at least 3 inches deep, increasing feed energy levels, ensuring a continuous fresh water supply, and preventing diseases through biosecurity, vaccination, and treating for parasites. Proper housing, ventilation, litter, feeding, watering, and disease management are essential for poultry health and productivity during winter.

1. Management of Poultry in Winter

2. Winter season has incredible impact on poultry production by bringing down the
surrounding temperature.
Respiratory disease in poultry can occur any time of year, but it’s especially
problematic in winter months.
Various problems like poor FCR, decreased weight gain, reduction in egg
production, reduction in water intake, reduction in fertility and hatchability etc
occurs.
Therefore, the management of poultry during winter is an important concern for
poultry farmer.

3. While doing poultry farming in winter should
take proper care at the following points.
House Management
Ventilation Management
Litter Management
Feeding Management
Water Management
Disease Management

4. Poultry House Management
• Poultry house should be designed in such a way to provide all the comfort
required by birds during winter.
• House should be designed in a way that maximum sun light enters the
shed during day time.
• Birds should be protected from chilled winds, for this gunny bags should
be hanged at the places from where the cold air enters. These gunny
bags should be hanged down as soon as sunlight goes in the evening till
the arrival of sunlight next morning.

5. Poultry Ventilation Management
• Maintaining good air quality is essential and is heavily influenced by ventilation
techniques. Ammonia levels and litter moisture can rise due to poor ventilation are
detrimental to the health of birds, predisposing them to respiratory disease.
• Elevated ammonia levels damage the cilia - responsible for clearing debris out of
the trachea, birds may succumb to viral infections such as IB, ILT or ND.
• Poor ventilation is favorable for bacterial growth. That’s why it’s not uncommon for
birds develop bacterial infection followed by coccidiosis - usually E. coli, which can
lead to severe polyserositis, septicemia and even death.

6. Poultry Litter Management
• The surface of floor, chick being placed in house - covered with a bedding material
called litter. It gives comfort to the birds.
• Good litter is a basic tenet of a well-managed farm, indicating less ammonia, a
better environment and healthier birds.
• Minimum 3 inches of litter is needed in houses during winter.
• Before adding fresh litter material, remove the caked up and wet litter material.
• Sprinkle a mixture of CUSO4 in the ratio of 4:1, and provide of 5 kg Aqua pure per
2000 sq2 area, before racking the litter to prevent ammonia gas release from litter.

7. Poultry Feeding Management
• Poultry uses food for two main purposes i.e. as an energy source to maintain body
temperature and to carry on normal physiological activities as building and
development of bones, flesh, feather, Egg etc.
• The variation in feed consumption is for each 0F change in temperature. Low
temperature causes more feed intake and higher oxygen demand is essential to
maintain body temperature by extra energy.
• It has been experimentally proved that for proper growth of broiler during summer,
diet containing 3100 Kcal ME/kg, while in winter, 3400 Kcal/kg ME is needed.

8. Poultry Water Management
• Water is a critical nutrient in bird used for nutrient transportation, enzymatic and
chemical reactions in the body, body temperature regulation and lubrication of
joints and organs.
• During winter season birds take less water so far maintenance of water in the body,
it is necessary to give continuous supply of fresh water which can be taken by the
bird.
• Water provided for drinking, must be free from microbial contamination that could
potentially cause disease in poultry, or lead to food safety issues.
• Test water regularly to ensure that it meets specific microbiological and
contaminant standards.

9. Poultry Disease Management
Disease/Disorder Causal agent/s Prevention
Colibacillosis Escherichia coli
Biosecurity and Vaccination with proper
management
Mycoplasmosis Mycoplasma spp.
Fowl Cholera Pasteurella multocida
Parasitic diseases Parasites (External/Internal)
Newcastle Disease Newcastle disease virus
Infectious Coryza Homophiles paragallinarum
Ascites Poor Management