19 Jan Recent success cases about using essential oils during respiratory diseases
Winter can be a difficult time for chickens. Wet weather and bad ventilation increase the occurrence of respiratory diseases. This year, with the spread of new strains of bird flu not only in China but to different areas of the world, the situation is particularly worrying. Most of our customers are focused in the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases in their flocks, which involve severe economic losses.
In this post, we want to share with you some of our recent successes in the application of essential oils during respiratory outbreaks, that can be summarized in:
- Improvement of the status of animals.
- Improvement of productive parameters.
- Help to avoid the spread of the disease among the different houses.
CASE Nº 1
Background of the case:
The animals started showing respiratory signs after vaccination with alive viral vaccines at day 7 and the problem had been going on for more than 10 days. Conventional pharmacological treatment did not fully solve the problem.
Signs before the use of essential oils
- Cough, shaking of the head, difficulty to stand up, depression.
- Very low feed intake. Mortality 0.08 % per day.
- Findings in necropsy: mucus and irritation in upper respiratory tract.
Signs after the use of essential oils
At day 23rd, essential oils were added to drinking water. In addition, essential oils were sprayed into the environment 4 times a day. The trial lasted for a total of 7 days.
After 3 days using essential oils:
- Feed intake went back to the normal standard of the farm.
After 6 days using essential oils:
- Cough and shaking of the head were reduced dramatically. Animals were much more active.
- Feed intake was higher than the standard of the farm. Mortality dropped to 0.03%.
Level of satisfaction of the customer
The customer was very satisfied with the improvement of the status of animals after the use of essential oils.
CASE Nº 2
Background of the case:
Farm with a very deficient air quality; environment is dusty and smelly; air circulation is not appropiate.
Two houses, one was administered essential oils by drinking water and the other house served as control.
Signs before the use of essential oils
- Trial group showed signs of Newcastle disease, difficulty to stand up, closed eyes, nasal discharge and respiratory sounds. The animals were depressed and feed intake was way below the standard of the farm. Mortality was 0.09% per day. Findings of necropsies of animals belonging to the trial group, also showed caseum and lesions on air sacs, liver and heart, so there was the suspicion of a secondary infections going on.
- Control group was healthier, with less respiratory signs, and showed a feed intake slightly below the standard levels of the farm. Mortality was 0.06% per day.
Both groups received the same pharmacological treatment against respiratory diseases.
Signs after the use of essential oils
At day 23rd, essential oils were added to drinking water. The trial lasted a total of 7 days.
- Respiratory signs of the trial group improved.
- In the trial group, feed intake and daily mortality did not improve.
- In the control group, feed intake dropped below the levels of the trial group and mortality doubled to 0.12% per day.
Level of satisfaction of the customer
The customer agreed that the addition of essential oils helped to avoid the deterioration of productive parameters in the trial group, compared to the final status of the control group.
CASE Nº 3
Background of the case:
The animals started showing respiratory signs after vaccination with alive viral vaccines at day 7 and the problem had been going on for more than 10 days. Conventional pharmacological treatment did not fully solve the problem.
Ventilation conditions of the farms are acceptable.
Signs before the use of essential oils
- Cough, shaking of the head, depression.
- Feed intake was normal. Mortality was 0.05% per day.
Signs after the use of essential oils
At day 17th, essential oils were added to drinking water. The trial lasted a total of 7 days.
After 4 days using essential oils:
- Animals were very active and feed intake increased above standards of the farm.
After 6 days using essential oils:
- Total disappearance of respiratory signs.
Level of satisfaction of the customer
The customer was very satisfied with the improvement of the status of animals and became a loyal user of essential oils during respiratory outbreaks.
CASE Nº 4
Background of the case:
The neighboring farms were affected by a viral respiratory infection, and the owner of the farm feared the spread of the disease to his farm.
Animals were 17-days-old. Two houses, one was administered essential oils by drinking water and the other house served as control. Both groups received the same pharmacological treatment against respiratory diseases. The facilities were quite precarious.
Signs before the use of essential oils
- Trial group showed signs of respiratory diseases, mainly respiratory noises
- Control group was healthier.
Signs after the use of essential oils
Essential oils were added to drinking water of the trial group. The trial lasted a total of 5 days.
- After only 3 days, respiratory signs of the trial group improved dramatically.
- From day 4th, the control group showed severe respiratory noises while the trial group maintained a fairly good respiratory health.
Level of satisfaction of the customer
The customer was satisfied with the result and agreed that the addition of essential oils helped to control the spread of the disease in his farm.
BENEFITS OF ESSENTIAL OILS DURING RESPIRATORY OUTBREAKS
Certain essential oils have special properties, mainly related to their volatility and pleasant flavour, that exert beneficial actions on the birds during respiratory diseases:
- Thanks to their “refreshing” or “cool” flavor, give a feeling of comfort and easy breathing, reducing the stress.
- Contribute to eliminate the mucus accumulation, which is a substrate for secondary bacterial infections.
- Make breathing easier, reducing the respiratory noises.
- Promote appetite and feed intake.
If you want to learn more about the use of essential oils during respiratory diseases, follow this link.
WHEN SHOULD YOU USE ESSENTIAL OILS?
- During respiratory diseases, normally together with pharmacological treatments.
- After vaccination with alive vaccines, to minimize secondary reactions and to strenghten the status of the birds.
- When ventilation is inadequate. Sub-optimum environmental conditions, dust and other harmful substances in the air make the animals more susceptible to respiratory diseases.
Products of choice
PlusBreathe© contains essential oils with natural antiseptic, antioxidant, expectorant and mucolytic activity. It has a refreshing taste.
It is indicated to improve the functioning of the respiratory system and to mitigate heat stress in birds, ruminants, pigs and rabbits of all ages. It can also be nebulized in the farm environment.
Certain health statements may not be applicable in your region.