Managing Respiratory Health - Key for Profitable Poultry Farming

Animal production in the last two decades has seen a significant change in terms of improving the production parameters of Poultry and Livestock through various measures. Among the various tools used in improving the production performance of birds and animals, genetic selection forms the most important tool which has been employed. Various genes corresponding to important production and quality traits have been selected and regulated to have a significant improvement in the way our current poultry and livestock performs. With the utilization of technology an advancement in scientific acumen, many parameters in poultry and livestock are optimized. However along with the improved performance and quality has also led to the evolution of further challenges which have come along.  Although many diseases have been successfully eradicated through various measure undertaken. However, there are still many challenging diseases which tend to impact the health, well-being and performance of meat and egg producing birds. Among the most common and the most challenging diseases which has evolved with modern animal production are the ones related to the respiratory system.

The respiratory diseases which get manifested in various forms and ways have incurred heavy losses to the poultry producers despite advancement in technology, better environment and superior selection and breeding techniques. The respiratory diseases have still managed to be the most significant of all other diseases to have led to serious economic repercussions to the producers.

In Poultry more specifically they respiratory ailments lead to significant production decrease along with cases on carcass being condemned (Portz C. 2008). The respiratory system in poultry is unique and quite different when compared to other animals. In Poultry the pumping of gases take place through various air sacs and some of which are also connected to the hollow bones of the birds. Furthermore, the lungs are fixed unlike in other animals. The narrow duct that communicates with the nasal sinuses in birds, for example, makes it difficult to drain secretions. Similarly, the mucociliary apparatus is absent in the air sacs, thus predisposing them and making them more susceptible to infections (Abreu JT. 2014). The unique architecture of respiratory system in poultry make them prone and highly susceptible to various diseases affecting the respiratory health.

Generally, there are multiple factors and reasons which lead to respiratory ailments in poultry which include both the infectious as well as non-infections causes.

The various non-infectious factors predisposing poultry to respiratory ailments include poor ventilation, litter quality, dust in the house, ammonia concentration, stocking density in the house and many more. These are primarily to be take care by proper and efficient management. Among the infectious causes, various pathogens like bacteria, viruses, fungi etc invade the respiratory system of birds once they get entry into the body of birds. They reach to the site of predilection and initiate cascade of inflammatory reactions followed by counter response by the body like mucus secretions etc which leads to partial or complete obstruction of the air passage and thus effecting the performance, morbidity, and mortality in birds. Various known diseases which have been prevalent in Poultry include Infectious Coryza, Fowl Cholera, New castle disease (ND), Low pathogenic Avian influenza (LPAI), Chronic respiratory disease (CRD), Infectious bronchitis (IB), Infectious Laryngo tracheitis (ILT), etc. Although vaccination for most of these diseases is being carried out but still the problem persists and they cause heavy production and economic loss to the poultry farmers.

In the pictorial representation below (Fig-1), it can be well comprehended that various physiological changes take place within the body of birds due to both infectious and non-infectious factors which have a severe impact on the health, wellbeing, and productivity in birds.

One of the common phenomena in all the respiratory diseases start with the initiation of inflammation which cascades into further aggravation and leads to cellular damage, hyperactivity of the respiratory airway, increased toxin susceptibility and lastly affects the gut health of the birds as well. During the inflammatory cascade, the local immune cells like BALT also get impacted which compromises the immune response of birds further making them prone to other infections.

Although various strategies, medications have been in practice and are employed to counter these challenges faced by the birds. However, there is still not a single holistic solution which takes care of the problem from the point it emanates. There is a practice of using antibiotics like Tylosin, Chlortetracycline, Enrofloxacin etc in feed or water which may be useful in secondary infections only or counter the microbial infection by inhibiting their growth. The basic inflammatory cascade is not taken care by any of these solutions and supportive therapies are to be administered to counter the immunocompromised condition of birds along with reducing the stress and energy loss due to the inflammatory reactions. The problem incurs additional costs and does not take care of the physiological impact caused by the infections.

Over the years, various solutions have been designed to address these challenges in Poultry. Rossari Biotech Limited being at the forefront of adding value through innovation has been actively working on designing and formulating solutions which can help ease this respiratory distress in birds. One such solution from the house of Rossari is Respite-DX.

Respite-DX is a synergistic combination of various essential Oils and plant extracts which work in cohesion to have a multi-fold impact within the body of birds. The essential oils and extracts are sourced from various herbs like Eucalyptus globulus, Mentha piperita, Thymus vulgaris and many more. The solution provides rich concertation of essential oils like Eucalyptol, Carvacrol and Eugenol along with other extracts which potentiate its positive effect on the body of the birds. Respite -DX is a holistic approach in combating the respiratory ailments in birds. Through its various compounds which exert their effect by being bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidants. The synergistic combination and precision mixing of various compounds in the product further exert its positive effect on the enhancement of respiratory immunity in birds. One of the key features of Respite-DX is the way it reduces the cascade of inflammatory reactions by stopping the signals leading to inflammation. The various phytocompounds in synergy tend to block IkappaB kinase (IKK) from digesting the iKB molecule.This ikB protects the nuclear factor-κB (NFkB) molecule, hence stopping it from getting inside cell and causing inflammation. Fig-2 below shows the pictorial representation of how Respite-DX stops the cascade of inflammatory reactions.

Respite-DX has the below mentioned ways by which it optimises the respiratory health in birds:

1.Anti Inflammatory

2.Bronchodilator

3.Mucolytic and Expectorant effect

4.Respiratory Immunity

5.Regenerates healthy mucus layer

Respite-DX therefore negates all the ramifications of both the infectious and non-infectious factors which cause lead to detrimental consequences in birds. Respite-DX can be used for the below indications in birds:

1.Prophylactic use to prevent the occurrence of respiratory infections

2.Supportive therapy during infection to fasten recovery and reduce the phase of infection

3.To counter post vaccination reactions in birds

4.To aid in optimization of gut health as secondary impact by effecting the Gut-Lung axis

5.Aids in countering secondary infections

With the rich repository of various trials conducted with Respite-DX in varied farm conditions, Respite-DX works as a holistic solution to counter respiratory challenges faced by the birds and is therefore a “Natural Defender to Respiratory Disorders.”