Content
- 1 Symptoms of infectious diseases in chickens
- 2 Infectious diseases of chickens are harmless to humans
- 3 Symptoms and treatment of chicken diseases that are not dangerous to humans
- 4 Possible winter diseases of chickens
- 5 Invasive diseases of chickens
- 6 Causes of non-infectious diseases of broilers and their elimination
Chickens are no less susceptible to diseases than any other domestic animal. But chicken diseases are most often treated with an ax, since it usually becomes clear that a chicken is sick only when it is too late to help. In addition, treating a chicken will often cost more than the bird itself.
Almost all infectious diseases of chickens caused by bacteria and protozoa are treated with only one method: slaughtering sick chickens. Only salmonellosis can be treated.At the same time, there are more than enough diseases in domestic chickens and they are difficult to differentiate by non-professionals, which is clearly visible in the video.
The man only managed to figure out which chicken it all started with. At the same time, private owners often simply do not have the opportunity to comply with the necessary standards for quarantine and keeping chickens.
The main signs of a chicken sick with any of the diseases:
A hunched back, drooping wings, a drooping head and a desire to separate from his friends by huddling in a corner. The physical condition of a chicken can be determined by the color of its comb:
- a red (in some breeds bright pink) comb of a healthy color - the chicken’s blood circulation is fine and it is not going to die in the near future;
- light pink - something has disrupted the blood circulation, the chicken is seriously ill;
- a comb with a blue tint - the chicken is going to the next world and it is better to slaughter it before it dies itself.
Theoretically, in many cases, sick chickens are suitable for consumption, but poultry farmers prefer to give them to dogs.
The picture is completed by dirty feathers due to the chicken’s inability to clean itself when sick, and paws swollen due to arthrosis or mites.
The photo shows the characteristic pose of a sick chicken.
Of the infectious diseases dangerous to humans, chickens suffer from:
- tuberculosis;
- pasteurellosis;
- leptospirosis;
- listeriosis;
- salmonellosis.
For the first four types of diseases, only the slaughter of the entire chicken population is provided.
In case of leptospirosis, sick chickens are separated from the main flock and treated with furazolidone and streptomycin for 3 weeks. Furazolidone is added to the water, and streptomycin is added to the feed.
Symptoms of infectious diseases in chickens
Listeriosis. The disease is caused by a microorganism: gram-positive motile rod. The disease usually begins with conjunctivitis. Other signs in chickens include convulsions, paresis of limbs and ultimately paralysis and death. The diagnosis is made in the laboratory.
It is necessary to differentiate listeriosis from pasteurellosis, spirochetosis, typhus, plague and Newcastle disease. But it makes sense to do this only on large farms. In small ones, if “the chickens start wheezing,” it’s easier to slaughter the entire flock. Moreover, in case of pasteurellosis or Newcastle disease, this will have to be done in any case.
Tuberculosis. In chickens, this disease usually occurs in a chronic form with subtle symptoms. Lethargy, exhaustion are observed, and in laying hens there is a decrease in egg production. Diarrhea and yellowness of the mucous membranes are also possible. Sometimes lameness and tumor formations appear on the soles of the paws. Tuberculosis disease must be distinguished from subcutaneous mites and traumatic formations.
Pasteurellosis. It has 5 forms of the disease with slightly different symptoms. At hyperacute form disease, an apparently healthy chicken suddenly dies. At acute course disease, the most noticeable sign indicating pasteurellosis will be a blue comb and earrings. In addition, chickens experience: apathy, disheveled chicken sitting with drooping wings, wheezing when breathing, atrophy of the pectoral muscles, foam from the beak and nasal openings, thirst. A chicken dies in acute cases after 3 days.
Subacute and chronic course the diseases are similar: in both forms of the disease there are arthritis of the joints, exhaustion, lethargy, inflammation of the earrings with the appearance of abscesses.The death of chickens in the subacute course of the disease occurs in a week or earlier. In the chronic course of the disease, rhinitis, inflammation of the intermaxillary space, and discharge on the conjunctiva and from the nasal openings are also added to the listed symptoms.
The photo clearly shows the chicken's comb, which has turned blue due to pasteurellosis.
Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis in chickens affects the liver, so one of the obvious symptoms of leptospirosis in chickens is yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes. In addition, weak bowel function, decreased egg production and fever are usually observed.
Salmonellosis. With this disease, chickens experience abundant foamy droppings of a liquid consistency, lack of appetite, thirst, and apathy. In chickens, swelling of the joints of the limbs is also observed, which should be distinguished from arthritic processes in pasteurellosis.
To protect people's health when these diseases appear, it is better to slaughter the entire population of chickens than to try to treat the birds.
Infectious diseases of chickens are harmless to humans
Diseases dangerous to humans are not the only infectious diseases that chickens can suffer from. There are also a number of infections caused by bacteria or protozoa that are not cosmopolitan:
- eimeriosis;
- purolosis (white diarrhea, chicken dysentery);
- Newcastle disease;
- reduced egg production syndrome;
- Escherichiosis (colibacillosis);
- flu;
- respiratory mycoplasmosis;
- Marek's disease;
- infectious laryngotracheitis;
- infectious bronchitis;
- infectious bursitis;
- aspergillosis;
- metapneumovirus infection.
For most chicken diseases, no treatment has been developed; only preventive measures can be taken.
Symptoms and treatment of chicken diseases that are not dangerous to humans
Eimeriosis of chickens
Eimeriosis of chickens is often called coccidiosis. A parasitic infection caused by protozoan microorganisms. Chicks between 2 and 8 weeks of age are most susceptible. Therefore, you should not be surprised if already grown 2-month-old chickens suddenly begin to die. Perhaps they were infected with Eimeria somewhere.
The incubation period for Eimeria is from 3 to 5 days. As a rule, chickens experience an acute course of the disease, which is manifested by depression, a sharp decrease in appetite, followed by a complete refusal of food, and thirst. Chicks huddle together, trying to stay warm. The wings are down. Feathers are ruffled. Bird death usually occurs 2–4 days after the onset of clinical signs and can reach 100%. In many ways, the severity of the disease depends on the number of parasites that have entered the bird’s body. With a small number of eimeria oocysts coccidiosis in chickens will be asymptomatic with the possible subsequent development of immunity to eimeria.
Treatment of the disease
When the first signs of the disease appear, all chickens are treated with coccidiostats, divided into two groups. One group prevents the development of immunity to eimeriosis in chickens and is used in broiler farms, where poultry receive coccidiostats continuously almost until the date of slaughter. The administration of this group of coccidiostats is stopped 3–5 days before slaughter.
The second group of drugs allows chickens to develop immunity and is used in breeding and egg farms. It is also most suitable for private owners who often keep chickens for eggs rather than broilers for slaughter.
Different drugs against eimeria have different dosages and courses of treatment, so when treating eimeriosis in chickens, you need to follow the instructions on the drug or the instructions of your veterinarian.
Disease prevention
Eimeria enter the poultry house not only with the droppings of sick birds or rodents, but also with the shoes and clothing of staff. Direct infection with Eimeria occurs through water and food contaminated with oocysts. Therefore, for prevention, it is necessary to observe veterinary and hygienic rules for keeping chickens. Do not allow poultry droppings to get into water or feed. Keep chickens in cages with mesh floors that are easy to disinfect. Since Eimeria are very resistant to adverse factors, the optimal method of disinfection is to heat the equipment in the poultry house with a blowtorch.
Newcastle disease
This viral disease has several names:
- Asian bird plague;
- pseudoplague;
- filaret disease;
- renikhet disease;
- abbreviation for the main name - NB.
The virus is quite stable in the external environment, and is also capable of intrauterine penetration into a chicken egg and survival in the egg during the entire incubation period. Thus, the chicken may be born already sick.
Symptoms of the disease
The disease has 3 types of disease progression, as well as typical and atypical forms. In the superacute course of the disease, the infection affects the entire chicken coop in 2-3 days with obvious clinical signs. Since the virus infects the nervous system of birds, symptoms include twisting of the neck, paralysis of the limbs, impaired coordination of movements, excitability, and difficulty breathing.
In the typical form of the acute course of the disease, 70% of the chicken population may experience suffocation, and 88% may experience diarrhea. Mucus from the beak, conjunctivitis, poor appetite, increase in body temperature by 1-2°. Often the bird lies with its beak buried on the floor and does not react to its surroundings.
An atypical form of the disease develops where antibiotics are widely used and the flock contains birds with varying immunity levels. In this case, Newcastle disease usually occurs without characteristic clinical signs, affecting mainly young chickens.
The death rate of chickens due to this disease reaches 90%. Treatment has not been developed and most likely will not be developed due to the high degree of danger of Newcastle disease.
Disease prevention
The main way to prevent the development of the disease is to comply with sanitation standards. If possible, if there is a threat of disease, chickens are vaccinated with “La-Sota”, “BOR-74 VGNKI” or a vaccine from the B1 strain.
Plague of chickens
Other names for the disease: influenza and influenza. The poultry is not treated, since the disease immediately takes the form of an epizootic, which can only be stopped by slaughtering the entire sick population of chickens.
Symptoms of the disease
The course of the disease varies in severity.
In severe cases, the development of the disease is very rapid, the temperature rises to 44°, falling to 30° before death. Swelling mucous membranes, nasal discharge. Blue earrings and comb, which looks like pasteurellosis. Chickens are depressed and inactive, quickly fall into a comatose state, dying 24 to 72 hours after the appearance of clinical signs. Mortality rate 100%.
With moderate severity, the disease lasts a week. Weakness, frequent shallow breathing, and depression are observed. Mucous discharge from the nose and beak, goiter atony.Yellow-green diarrhea develops. With moderate and mild disease, up to 20% of chickens die. Floor-housed laying hens suffer from influenza more severely; productivity decreases by an average of 50%, recovering after recovery.
Disease prevention
Vaccination of chickens and quarantine of farms suspected of the disease.
Marek's disease
Other names: avian paralysis, neuritis, neurolymphomatosis, infectious neurogranulomatosis. Viral disease. The causative agent is one of the forms of herpes viruses. The virus is stable in the external environment, but is very sensitive to common disinfectants: phenol, Lysol, alkalis, formaldehyde and chlorine.
Symptoms of the disease
The incubation period of the disease can reach 150 days. Symptoms of the acute form of the disease are similar to leukemia: abnormal positions of the head, limbs and body, exhaustion, a sharp decrease in egg production, apathy. Death occurs in 46% of sick chickens. The acute form of the disease is observed in farms that are already disadvantaged in the classical form.
The course of the classic form of the disease is expressed in damage to the nervous system: paralysis, lameness, paresis, the eyes of chickens become gray, and the shape of the pupil becomes pear-shaped or star-shaped. Complete blindness appears. The incubation period for the classic form of the disease can also reach up to 150 days. Lethal outcome in up to 30% of sick birds.
There is no treatment for this disease.
The video clearly shows external signs Marek's disease and autopsy results of a chicken that died from Marek's disease
Disease prevention
The main measures to prevent Marek's disease are vaccination of chicken livestock with live vaccines.There are two types of vaccine: from strains of the Marek's disease virus and strains of the turkey herpes virus. Also, to prevent Marek’s disease, eggs for incubation are imported only from prosperous farms. Strictly observe the requirements of hygiene rules in poultry houses. If 10% of the chicken population is infected with the Marek's disease virus, all poultry are slaughtered, followed by thorough disinfection of the premises. But it is better to breed chickens from lines resistant to Marek's disease.
Leukosis of chickens
It is caused by oncoviruses and most often affects chickens older than 4 months. Symptoms of the disease are nonspecific, the main ones being: exhaustion, decreased egg production, diarrhea, and anemic scallops. Tumors in chickens can form anywhere, but mainly in the chest muscles, under the skin and in the skin.
There is no treatment. Suspicious chickens are isolated and slaughtered. To prevent the disease, young chickens and hatching eggs are taken from leukemia-free farms.
Infectious laryngotracheitis of chickens
Viral disease. The virus is relatively stable in the external environment, but is very sensitive to conventional disinfectants.
The death of chickens with this disease occurs from suffocation.
Symptoms of the disease
The disease has 4 types of progression. In the acute course of the disease, inflammation of the trachea, blockage of the larynx, cough, and wheezing are observed. Egg production stops. Fatal outcome 15%.
In the superacute course of the disease, the main symptoms are coughing up mucus and blood. The fatality rate is 50%.
In chronic and subacute cases, the disease takes a long period of time, during which the chickens either get better or worse. These forms are characterized by conjunctivitis, wheezing, cough, and difficulty breathing. The death rate of chickens in these cases reaches 7%.
There is an atypical form of the disease, of which the only visible signs are symptoms of conjunctivitis. With this form, if fed and cared for well, most chickens recover. Under unfavorable conditions, almost the entire poultry house population dies, since the severity of diseases in chickens and their mortality are strongly influenced by secondary infections.
Treatment and prevention of disease
As such, treatment for the disease has not been developed. To prevent complications in chickens and treat them in the event of a secondary infection, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used by spraying them into the air.
The main measure to prevent the disease is to prevent the introduction of infection into the farm. In the event of an outbreak of the disease, sick and suspicious chickens are slaughtered and the premises are disinfected.
Infectious bronchitis of chickens
The virus affects the respiratory and reproductive organs, reducing egg production. When using disinfectants, the virus dies after 3 hours.
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of IB include: shortness of breath, sneezing, conjunctivitis, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing with wheezing, lethargy, and the beak is open. When the respiratory system is affected, the disease is acute and the death rate reaches 33%. When the reproductive organs are damaged, egg production decreases, eggs have deformations on the shell, and the hatchability of chickens also decreases. When the kidneys and ureteric tubules are damaged, diarrhea and depression are observed. Mortality reaches 70% of the number of sick chickens.
Disease prevention
There is no treatment. Prevention of the disease traditionally consists of purchasing breeding material for chicken flocks from prosperous farms, as well as using dry vaccine of the “AM” strain.
Infectious bursitis of chickens
When the disease occurs, the joints become inflamed, intramuscular hemorrhages appear, and the kidneys are affected. No treatment has been developed.
Symptoms of the disease
In its acute course, the disease affects 100% of susceptible individuals of all ages. This is especially true for broiler chickens aged 2 to 11 weeks. First, diarrhea, loss of appetite, body tremors, depression, and loss of ability to move appear. Later, anorexia and white diarrhea are added (can be confused with pullorosis). Mortality can reach 40%, although usually only 6% of the total chicken population dies.
In case of chronic latent course of bursitis, its signs may be an atypical course of other viral and infectious diseases.
Prevention of the disease is to stock the main flock of chickens with healthy individuals.
Reduced egg production syndrome-76
A viral disease in which egg production decreases, the shape of eggs, the quality and pigmentation of the shell changes, and the quality of the egg white deteriorates.
There are two groups of viruses for this disease. The first affects broiler breeds and causes minor damage. The second group causes a disease that causes serious economic damage to poultry farms.
Symptoms of the disease
The disease has no characteristic signs. Diarrhea, ruffled plumage, and prostration are noted. In the later stages of the disease, the earrings and comb may turn blue, but this is not observed in all chickens. Within 3 weeks, hens lay defective eggs. At the same time, the egg production of chickens is reduced by 30%. When chickens are kept in cages, productivity can be restored.
Disease prevention
There is no treatment. As a preventive measure, laying hens are vaccinated at the age of 20 weeks. Chickens that react positively are slaughtered.
In addition to the diseases already listed, many others can be named. Almost all diseases have one thing in common: no treatment for the infectious disease has been developed for chickens. In addition, many diseases have similar symptoms and it is difficult for a private poultry farmer without education and a laboratory to distinguish one disease from another. And since in the overwhelming majority of cases a panacea for all diseases is used: an axe, you don’t have to worry about the question of what viruses or bacteria have visited the chicken coop.
Possible winter diseases of chickens
Diseases of laying hens in winter are caused by overcrowding in winter chicken coop and lack of vitamins and microelements. The most common disease of chickens in winter, eimeriosis, is caused precisely by overcrowding of livestock in a small area.
If a decrease in egg production in winter is most likely due to short daylight hours, then pecking of eggs, and sometimes tearing out feathers and pecking the body to meat, can be caused by stress or a lack of microelements.
In case of stress caused by too dense planting of chickens per unit area, the chickens are given walks in the enclosure, driving them into the coop only at night. The rest of the time, chickens can freely enter and exit the barn.
When self-pecking and eating eggs, chickens add feed chalk and feed sulfur to their diet.
Usually, if the addition of chalk and sulfur does not prevent eggs from pecking, the pest chicken is slaughtered.
“Sitting on their feet,” if this is not an infection, occurs precisely from a lack of movement, and keeping chickens in a closed chicken coop all winter has a detrimental effect on the respiratory system, which becomes noticeable when the owners open the barns in the spring and let the chickens outside.
To prevent most winter diseases, it will be enough to provide chickens with plenty of exercise and a balanced diet.
Invasive diseases of chickens
Diseases caused by parasites. These diseases develop well in crowded conditions. Invasive diseases include:
- arachnoses;
- helminthiases;
- feather eater
When infected with a feather eater, the bird feels itching on its body and tries to get rid of it by tearing out the feathers.
The beetle is an insect large enough to be detected even with the naked eye. And sometimes you can feel it crawling along your hand. Like any skin parasite, the beetle can be easily removed using any means for animals against ticks and fleas. In fact, this is the chicken analogue of fleas and lice-eaters that parasitize mammals.
Helminthiases are treated with anthelmintic drugs according to the regimen indicated separately for each drug. For preventive purposes, deworming in chickens is carried out every 4 months.
Knemidocoptic mange or scabies mite can parasitize chickens under the scales on their feet, causing tumors, or in the feather follicles, causing the bird to itch and tear out feathers. Acaricidal drugs, which you can buy at a pharmacy or ask your veterinarian, work well against it.
The photo shows a chicken paw infected with a mite.
Causes of non-infectious diseases of broilers and their elimination
The causes of non-infectious diseases in broilers are usually non-compliance with temperature conditions or feeding regime and diet.
Enteritis may be a sign of an infectious disease.Other diseases: gastritis, dyspepsia, cuticulitis, are usually a consequence of an unbalanced diet or feeding with low-quality feed. Eliminating the causes of these diseases is simple; it is enough to switch the chickens to high-quality factory feed to prevent contamination of homemade feed with pathogenic microorganisms. Factory feed should also be stored in a cool, dry place.
Bronchopneumonia is a consequence of hypothermia in chickens when a secondary infection enters the respiratory tract. Treated with antibiotics.
Signs of hypothermia: foamy discharge from the eyes and nasal openings of the beak. In addition, such a chicken trembles all over. A simple cold goes away in a couple of days in a box with an air temperature of about 40 degrees.
Frozen chickens squeak and try to huddle together. In this case, the room temperature needs to be increased.
When overheated, chickens try to move as far as possible from the heat source. Sedentary. They often lie with their beaks buried on the floor. The temperature is reduced.
Despite the number of diseases detrimental to an individual, chicken as a species is not going to give way to any other poultry. And in fact, if the necessary sanitary standards are observed, chicken diseases are not as terrible as they might seem. Although you have to be prepared for the loss of your entire chicken population.
