Common brooding problems include:
- Chilling or overheating
- Poor ventilation
- Wet litter
- Lack of clean water
- Overcrowding
These stressors weaken chicks, making them susceptible to infections.
Nutritional Imbalances
Feed quality is directly linked to poultry survival. Poor-quality or adulterated feed leads to:
- Weak immune response
- Slow growth
- Nutritional deficiencies (vitamins, minerals)
- Organ failure
- Sudden mortality in fast-growing broilers
Feed contamination (mold, fungus, aflatoxins) is also a major problem in Nepal due to humid storage conditions.
Environmental and Climatic Stress
Nepal’s diverse climate—from Terai heat to mountain cold—poses challenges for poultry farming.
Environmental causes of mortality include:
- Heat stress in summer
- Chill stress in winter
- High ammonia levels
- Inadequate ventilation
- Power cuts are affecting fans and heating systems
Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall or cold waves further contribute to flock losses.
Poor Biosecurity Practices
Lack of proper biosecurity is one of the biggest weaknesses in Nepal’s poultry sector. Common mistakes include:
- Allowing visitors inside the farm
- Lack of footbaths and disinfection
- Mixing birds of different ages
- Purchasing chicks from unreliable hatcheries
- Weak vaccination planning
Improper biosecurity exposes birds to pathogens, increasing mortality risk.
Key Strategies for Poultry Mortality Control
For effective poultry mortality control in Nepal, farmers must adopt a multi-layered approach combining prevention, management, and monitoring. The strategies below are practical and suitable for both small and large farms.
Strengthen Biosecurity Practices
Biosecurity is the first line of defense.
Essential Biosecurity Guidelines
- Restrict visitor entry
- Use footbaths with disinfectants
- Separate sick birds immediately
- Clean and disinfect equipment regularly
- Control rodents and wild birds
- Maintain all-in, all-out systems
- Keep farm surroundings clean
Farmers who follow strict biosecurity often experience up to 70% reduction in disease outbreaks.
Effective Vaccination Schedule
Vaccination is crucial for disease prevention.
A typical broiler vaccination plan includes:
- Day 1: Marek’s Disease
- Day 5–7: Newcastle (B1) + IBD
- Day 14: IBD booster
- Day 21: Newcastle (Lasota)
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