Abstract
I n the next series of articles, we will discuss a variety of elements of the flock health program that will be used either directly or indirectly in the aviary evaluation process. These topics include the structural design maps, traffic flow maps, production records and financial records and each can serve to provide diagnostic information regarding the flock. How the veterinary/aviculturist team deals with the diagnoses made, depends on the aviculturist's mission statement as discussed in Part II of this series. This article focuses on the aviary or structural design maps.
Who Needs Road Maps?
When driving from point A to B, it is extremely helpful to know the paths you can take, especially when a roadblock is up and an alternate route must be chosen. Obviously, a road map serves to guide the driver through the area and allows one to make decisions such as the shortest distance between A and B, the scenic route, treacherous or dangerous paths and alternate streets that can be used in case the main highway is out. Now, for those familiar with all of the local streets, alternate routes, etc., how do you tell someone the best way to get to your house and at the same time be able to anticipate all of the potential problems
the driver may experience along the way. The answer is, you cannot predict every future problem and it is best if the parties involved have an area map.
Aviary Maps
This concept is also true in aviculture. A well constructed aviary map allows the veterinary/aviculturist team
to make educated decisions when problems arise, or better, make recommendations about preventative flock health care. As you will soon read, the aviary map, when used in conjunction with other diagnostic modalities (traffic flow maps, production records, etc.), can become a very useful tool in flock health management. For definition purposes, a "building" represents a free standing unit where birds are located and includes a pen, a house, a barn, hatching room, etc. The "facility" includes all of the buildings.
The aviary map should clearly depict the basic layout of the facility including locations of buildings and their spatial relationship to each other and surrounding structures (i.e., pond, tree lines, etc.), general building dimensions and construction materials, individual cage locations and their design, nest box locations and design, and any other information that may clearly and succinctly describe the conditions under which the birds are housed The map should be drawn proportionally and should closely resemble the basic facility and individual building designs. As the veterinary/aviculturist team continues to manage the aviary, more specific information such as ambient temperatures, humidity, watering system, etc., may be requested.
The Case of Jack Gray's Greys Now let's put the map into motion and use it to guide the managing team. Jack Gray has a large multi building facility and specializes in African Greys and a variety of Poicephalus spp parrots. Jack has always experienced increased chick mortality and
decreased production in Building #7 which contains 40 breeding pairs of mixed Congo and Timneh African Grey Parrots. The production records (this topic will be discussed in Part V of this series) clearly indicate very high pediatric mortality and poor production in some birds and excellent statistics in others within the same building. Traffic flow maps (to be covered in Part N) depict a healthy organized pattern of feeding and movement within the building. When compared to other buildings within lack's facility, Building # 7 is losing or not producing an estimated 40-60 chicks a year. This business is Jack's livelihood, as written in his mission statement (described in Part II), and Building e 7 currently represents a financial loss.
Closer inspection of the production records reveals that pediatric mortality decreases and egg laying goes up the further the birds are away from the West wall. Reviewing the building map does not reveal any peculiarities within Building #7, but the facility map shows that this building is the only one with the long axis directed North and South. In this case, the West wall of Building #7 is receiving direct sunlight from the afternoon sun cooking the nest boxes and their respective birds. One inexpensive method to test this theory is to place a sun barrier near the West wall to prevent direct sunlight. Traditional measures may have included medical "work-ups" on poor producers. Certainly, some medical problems are likely to be found in the "affected" birds, but the real issue represents an environmental problem.