The good gut guide

When summer is really hot, a Tucson coop with the right angles is still a cool place.

This coop sees a lot of very hot days, so it was specially designed to help its occupants stay cool. It's in Tucson, Arizona, very close to the US border with Mexico. The region has two seasons: summer and winter, and gets just 300mm of rain per year. Average daily summer temperatures are 37-39°C; in winter, it still averages 18-21°C.

Local architect Gideon Danilowitz volunteered to design and help build the 15m² coop for his local school's flock.

The challenge was to create a cool summer home for the flock that was easy to construct as no-one had any building experience.

The slats and solid walls are angled to block the harsh summer sun from the south, west and east, but still allow low-angle sun in winter (in NZ, it would face north). It provides a lot of shade but also allows breezes through to keep it cool.

Other criteria were it had to be easy to clean and allow egg collection without going inside and disturbing the hens.

Gideon has the plans (in metric and imperial measurements) for sale on Etsy. www.etsy.com – search for ‘modernchickencoop’ (no spaces)

The design had to be easy to construct as no-one had any building experience.

Seventy years ago, commercial poultry companies around the world started using antibiotics in feed. The result was birds that grew twice as fast as those on nonmedicated feed and there were far fewer deaths from diseases. Antibiotics are still commonly used in the pig and poultry industry in NZ.

However, the rise of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs' has resulted in much stricter controls. The regular use of antibiotics in feed is now banned in some countries, although not yet in NZ (see page 59).

But research shows probiotics and prebiotics can greatly benefit bird health. While they can't kill bacteria that cause disease as antibiotics do, they offer some protection from bacterial infections and help improve growth and general health.

Birds with poor gut microbiota are more susceptible to disease, develop poorer immune systems, and don't grow as fast or as big as those with well-developed gut microbiota. They're unable to properly digest food or absorb nutrients, leading to the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and the loss of beneficial ones.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics (also known as direct-fed microbials or DFMs) are live organisms that help with fermentation in the gut. They aid digestion by supporting beneficial bacteria, so the gastrointestinal tract is better at absorbing nutrients. They also support the immune system, helping to prevent disease.

Around 70% of the bacteria found in the poultry digestive tract are Lactobacillus strains. Common beneficial bacteria found in poultry include: Lactobacillus acidophilus: improves body growth, prevents harmful microorganisms, helps with fermentation of feed in the gut. Lactobacillus casei: reduces colonisation of bad bacteria, reduces impact of harmful microorganisms, ferments carbohydrates. Bifidobacterial thermophilium: helps the immune system.

Enterococcus faecium: reduces impact of harmful microorganisms, helps with carbohydrate fermentation.

SOURCES

Gut health in poultry,

Dr Richard A Bailey (2019)

The good guys in your chickens

New research shows there are 800 species of bacteria – both beneficial and harmful

– in the gastrointestinal tract of a chicken, plus fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Most are new to science.

Different beneficial bacteria are found in different organs. They begin to develop after hatching as chicks pick up bacteria from their environment, feed, and people who touch them. It takes around 3-4 weeks for the entire gastrointestinal tract to become colonised.

From hatching to four weeks or so is an ideal time to feed a probiotic as it helps pioneer the bacterial community in the chick's body when it's most actively growing. SAVE TIME & MONEY with the ORIGINAL AUTOMATIC chicken & poultry feeder! There are no substitutes when it comes to Grandpas Feeders. If you aren’t satisfied in both the workmanship and the effectiveness, we will refund your purchase price in full, up to 24 months following the purchase. PRODUCT NEW GRANDPAS DRINKER CUPS GRANDPAS ORIGINAL FEEDER Clean water, no training. Go to the products page on our website for more info. Stop pests like sparrows and rodents from stealing your hens’ food. Our feeders are also weather proof, so no food is ever wasted or stolen. Contact us today! mark@grandpasfeeders.co.nz 07 552 5225 027 276 9794 www.grandpasfeeders.co.nz E: P: | M: thisnzlife.co.nz