| Over the past few years, the
disease problems in game birds have increased considerably.
There are many reasons for
this, i.e. the importation of foreign stock, drug resistant
pathogens, hygiene problems, low genetic quality stock,
changes in diet make-up and others.
The veterinary profession
with the V.I. Centres, offer sterling service in the identification
of diseases, nutritional deficiencies, parasitic problems
etc. However drug usage is becoming increasingly questioned
in livestock production and certainly the reliance on drugs
that has occurred over the last decade or so has to be changed.
Since last season, (1998/9),
more drugs are now being withdrawn from general usage and
withdrawal periods introduced for those which remain available.
Though vets and drug companies
have been very effective in identifying diseases and developing
drugs to combat them, we are still faced with a game bird
industry racked with problems and the national game flock
having the lowest level of natural immunity it has probably
ever had.
The structure of the game
rearing industry which has at its base breeding farms, some
of which, however well managed, will inevitably have some
serious health problems, has an influence on the broader
health picture. We import 'alien' strains of eggs and birds
with their particular bugs, mix them with our own and then
spread them around Britain and overhanging this is the wild
bird population to exacerbate any problems.
We believe that the birds
own disease fighting equipment, 'the immune system' has
been sadly overlooked and abused, as is the case in all
other forms of domestic livestock. It is amazing what powerful
effects a 'charged' immune system can have.
Wild birds in a wild natural
environment by and large meet lower level disease challenges
and are feeding on their natural balanced diet. An immune
system bolstered by the birds' natural diet and environment
will respond by dealing with the challenge and indeed to
remain effective, the immune system needs to be continually
stimulated.
Compare the above though with
the artificial environment that the average game bird is
reared in. Sometimes too hot or cold, surrounded by hundreds
or thousands of other birds, on a diet which is often less
than ideal, having to cope with disease levels way above
that which it would naturally face and all this means very
high stress levels.
Stress levels are further
exacerbated by birds being moved on several occasions before
release into the wild, changes of food, vaccination, biting
etc.
Recent research has shown
that when the immune system is activated at high levels,
as in the case of a serious disease challenge, large amounts
of energy are diverted by the body in order to defeat the
invading pathogen. When we are fighting a 'flu bug' we are
'drained' and feel weak, we can lose weight and can remain
'low' for several weeks. Our situation is without the competition
for food and space as is the case of a game bird. The game
bird can be continually challenged by different diseases
and be under immense pressure. In the case of breeding stock
it will perform less well and the young bird, if
it lives, will not achieve its potential. |
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