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-communicable broiler diseases and their elimination
Chickens are as susceptible to disease as any other domestic animal. But diseases of chickens are most often treated with an ax, since it usually becomes clear that the chicken is sick only when it is too late to help. In addition, treating a chicken will often cost more than the poultry itself.
Almost all infectious diseases of chickens caused by bacteria and protozoa are treated with only one method: the slaughter of 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 of the chickens it all started with. At the same time, private owners often simply do not have the opportunity to comply with the necessary quarantine and chicken keeping standards.
The main signs of a chicken with any of the diseases:
A hunched back, drooping wings, a drooping head and a desire to separate from the companions, huddled in a corner. The physical condition of the chicken can be determined by the color of the comb:
- a red (hot pink in some breeds) comb of a healthy color - the hen's circulation is all right and she is not going to die in the near future;
- light pink - something has disturbed 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 have time to slaughter it before it dies itself.
In theory, in many cases, sick chickens are suitable for consumption, but poultry farmers prefer to give them to dogs.
The picture is complemented by dirty feathers due to the inability of the chicken to clean itself during illness and swollen due to arthrosis or ticks paws.
The photo shows a typical pose of a sick chicken.
Of infectious diseases dangerous to humans, chickens get sick:
- tuberculosis;
- pasteurellosis;
- leptospirosis;
- listeriosis;
- salmonellosis.
For the first four types of diseases, only the slaughter of the entire population of chickens is provided.
With leptospirosis, sick chickens are separated from the main livestock and treated with furazolidone and streptomycin for 3 weeks. Furazolidone is added to water, and streptomycin is added to feed.
Symptoms of infectious diseases in chickens
Listeriosis... The disease is caused by a microorganism: gram-positive movable stick. The disease usually begins with conjunctivitis. Other signs in chickens are convulsions, paresis of the limbs and ultimately paralysis and death. The diagnosis is made in the laboratory.
It is required to differentiate listeriosis from pasteurellosis, spirochetosis, typhoid, plague and Newcastle disease. But it makes sense to do this only on large farms.In small ones, if the "chickens began to wheeze", it is easier to slaughter the entire livestock. Moreover, in case of pasteurellosis or Newcastle disease, this will have to be done in any case.
Tuberculosis... In chickens, this disease is usually chronic with subtle symptoms. Lethargy, exhaustion are observed, in laying hens, a decrease in egg production is observed. 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 ticks and traumatic formations.
Pasteurellosis... Has 5 forms of the course of the disease with slightly different symptoms. When hyperacute form disease, an outwardly healthy chicken suddenly dies. When acute current disease, the most noticeable sign indicating pasteurellosis will be a blue comb and earrings. In addition, chickens experience: apathy, a disheveled hen sits with lowered wings, wheezing when breathing, atrophy of the pectoral muscles, foam from the beak and nasal openings, thirst. The chicken dies in an acute course 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, discharge on the conjunctiva and from the nasal openings are also added to the listed symptoms.
The photo clearly shows the hen's crest, which has turned blue with pasteurellosis.
Leptospirosis... With leptospirosis in chickens, the liver is affected, therefore one of the obvious symptoms of leptospirosis in chickens is yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes. In addition, poor bowel function, decreased egg production and fever are usually observed.
Salmonellosis... With this disease, chickens have abundant foamy droppings of a liquid consistency, lack of appetite, thirst, and apathy. In chickens, swelling of the joints of the extremities is also noted, which should be distinguished from arthritic processes in pasteurellosis.
To protect the health of people when these diseases appear, it is better to slaughter the entire population of chickens than to try to treat the bird.
Infectious diseases of chickens are harmless to humans
Diseases dangerous to humans are not the only infectious diseases that chickens can get sick with. There are also a number of infections caused by bacteria or protozoa that are not cosmopolitan:
- eimeriosis;
- purollosis (white diarrhea, chicken dysentery);
- Newcastle disease;
- 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
Aymeriosis of chickens
Aymeriosis in chickens is often called coccidiosis. A parasitic infection caused by protozoa. Chickens are most susceptible from 2 to 8 weeks of age. Therefore, do not be surprised if already grown 2-month-old chickens suddenly begin to die. Perhaps they got 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 rejection of feed, thirst. Chickens huddle together, trying to keep warm. The wings are down. Feathers are ruffled. The death of a bird usually occurs 2 to 4 days after the onset of clinical signs and can reach 100%. In many ways, the severity of the course of the disease depends on the number of parasites that have entered the bird's body. With a small number of oocysts, eimeria coccidiosis in chickens will be asymptomatic with possible subsequent development of immunity to eimeria.
Treatment of the disease
When the first signs of the disease appear, all chickens are fed with coccidiostatics, which are divided into two groups. One group interferes with the development of immunity to eimeriosis in chickens and is used in broiler farms where the poultry receives coccidiostatic continuously almost until the date of slaughter. The giving of this group of coccidiostatics is stopped 3 to 5 days before slaughter.
The second group of drugs allows the development of immunity in chickens and is used in breeding and egg farms. It is also most suitable for private owners who often keep chickens for eggs than broilers for slaughter.
Different drugs against eimeria have different dosages and courses of treatment, therefore, when treating eimeriosis in chickens, you need to follow the instructions on the drug or the instructions of your veterinarian.
Disease prevention
Eymerias enter the poultry house not only with the droppings of sick birds or rodents, but also with the shoes and clothing of the attendants. Direct infection with eimeria occurs through oocyst-contaminated water and feed. Therefore, for prevention, it is necessary to observe the veterinary and hygienic rules for keeping chickens. Do not allow poultry droppings to enter water or feed. Keep chickens in cages with mesh floors that are easy to disinfect. Since eimeria are very resistant to adverse factors, the best disinfection method is to calcine the equipment in the poultry house with a blowtorch.
Newcastle disease
This viral disease has several names:
- Asian plague of birds;
- pseudo-plague;
- 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 the chicken egg and survival in the egg during the entire incubation period. Thus, the chick can be born already sick.
Symptoms of the disease
In the disease, there are 3 types of the course of the disease, as well as typical and atypical forms. With a very severe course of the disease, the infection affects the entire chicken coop in 2-3 days with obvious clinical signs. Since the virus affects the nervous system of birds, the symptoms are twisting of the neck, paralysis of the limbs, impaired coordination of movements, irritability, and shortness of breath.
With the typical form of the acute course of the disease, 70% of the chickens may experience suffocation, and 88% have diarrhea. Mucus from the beak, conjunctivitis, poor appetite, an increase in body temperature by 1-2 °. Often the bird lies with its beak on the floor and does not react to the environment.
The atypical form of the disease develops where antibiotics are widely used and there are birds with immunity of varying strength in the herd. In this case, Newcastle disease usually proceeds without characteristic clinical signs, affecting mainly young chickens.
The percentage of death of chickens with this disease reaches 90%. No cure has been developed and is unlikely to be developed due to the high severity of Newcastle disease.
Disease prevention
The main way to prevent the development of the disease is to comply with sanitary standards. If possible, with 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: flu and influenza. The bird 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
Distinguish between the course of the disease of varying severity.
In severe cases, the development of the disease is very rapid, the temperature rises to 44 °, before death falling to 30 °. Mucous membranes edematous, discharge from the nose. Blue earrings and crest that looks like pasteurellosis. Chickens are depressed and inactive, quickly fall into a coma, dying 24 - 72 hours after the appearance of clinical signs. Mortality rate is 100%.
With moderate severity, the disease lasts a week. Weakness, frequent shallow breathing, depression are observed. Mucous discharge from the nose and beak, goiter atony. Diarrhea develops in a yellow-green color. With an average and mild course of the disease, up to 20% of chickens die. Laying hens on the floor carry the flu more heavily, productivity decreases by an average of 50%, recovering after recovery.
Disease prevention
Vaccination of chickens and quarantine of farms suspicious for the disease.
Marek's disease
Other names: avian paralysis, neuritis, neurolymphomatosis, infectious neurogranulomatosis. Viral disease. The causative agent is a form of herpes viruses. The virus is stable in the external environment, but very sensitive to common disinfectants: phenol, lysol, alkalis, formaldehyde and chlorine.
Symptoms of the disease
The incubation period of the disease can be up to 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 diseased chickens. The acute form of the disease is observed in farms that are already dysfunctional 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 stellate. Complete blindness appears. The incubation period for the classic form of the disease can also be up to 150 days. The lethal outcome is up to 30% of sick birds.
There is no cure for this disease.
The video clearly shows external signs Marek's disease and autopsy results of a chicken killed by Marek's disease
Disease prevention
The main measures for the prevention of Marek's disease are vaccination of the chicken population with live vaccines. There are two types of vaccine: from strains of the Marek's disease virus and strains of the herpes virus of turkeys. Also, for the prevention of Marek's disease, eggs for incubation are imported only from prosperous farms. The requirements of the rules of hygiene in poultry houses are strictly observed. When the Marek's disease virus is infected, 10% of the chicken population slaughters the entire bird, followed by thorough disinfection of the room. But it is better to breed chickens from lines resistant to Marek's disease.
Chicken leukemia
It is caused by oncoviruses and more often affects chickens older than 4 months. Symptoms of the disease are nonspecific, the main ones are: exhaustion, decreased egg production, diarrhea, anemic scallop. Tumors in chickens can form anywhere, but mainly in the pectoral muscles, under the skin, and in the skin.
There is no cure. Suspicious chickens are isolated and slaughtered. As a prophylaxis of the disease, young chickens and hatching eggs are taken from farms free of leukemia.
Infectious laryngotracheitis of chickens
Viral disease. The virus is relatively stable in the external environment, but very sensitive to common disinfectants.
The death of chickens with this disease occurs from suffocation.
Symptoms of the disease
The disease has 4 types of course. In the acute course of the disease, inflammation of the trachea, blockage of the larynx, cough, wheezing are observed. Egg production stops. The lethal outcome is 15%.
With a very severe course of the disease, the main symptoms are coughing up mucus and blood. The percentage of deaths is 50%.
In chronic and subacute courses, the disease takes a long period of time, during which it becomes easier or worse for chickens. These forms are characterized by conjunctivitis, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath. The death of chickens in these cases reaches 7%.
There is an atypical form of the disease, of the visible signs of which only the symptoms of conjunctivitis are present. In this form, with good feeding and care, most chickens will recover.Under unfavorable conditions, almost all livestock of the poultry house dies, since the severity of diseases in chickens and their mortality are strongly influenced by secondary infections.
Treatment and prevention of the disease
As such, the treatment of the disease has not been developed. To prevent complications in chickens and to treat them in case of infection with a secondary infection, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used by spraying them in the air.
The main measure of disease prevention is to prevent the introduction of infection into the farm. In the event of an outbreak of illness, sick and suspicious chickens are slaughtered, the room is disinfected.
Infectious bronchitis of chickens
The virus infects 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, shortness of breath with wheezing, lethargy, beak open. With the defeat of the respiratory system, the disease is acute and the death rate reaches 33%. If the reproductive organs are damaged, egg production decreases, eggs with deformations on the shell, and hatchability of chickens also decreases. With damage to the kidneys and urethral tubules, diarrhea and depression are observed. Mortality reaches 70% of the number of sick chickens.
Disease prevention
There is no cure. Disease prevention traditionally consists in buying breeding material for chicken herds in prosperous farms, as well as the use of dry vaccine of the AM strain.
Infectious bursitis of chickens
With the disease, the joints become inflamed, intramuscular hemorrhages appear, and the kidneys are affected. No treatment has been developed.
Symptoms of the disease
In the 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, tremors in the body, depression, loss of the ability to move are manifested. Later added anorexia, white diarrhea (can be confused with pullorosis). Mortality can reach 40%, although usually only 6% of the total chicken population dies.
In the chronic latent course of bursitis, its signs may be an atypical course of other viral and infectious diseases.
Disease prophylaxis is the equipping of the main herd of chickens with healthy individuals.
Egg Drop Syndrome-76
A viral disease in which egg production decreases, the shape of the eggs changes, the quality and pigmentation of the shell changes, and the quality of the egg white deteriorates.
This disease has two groups of viruses. 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, prostration are noted. In the later stages of the disease, the earrings and scallop may turn blue, but this is not observed in all chickens. The hens will lay defective eggs within 3 weeks. At the same time, the egg production of chickens is reduced by 30%. With the cage keeping of chickens, productivity can be restored.
Disease prevention
There is no cure. As a prophylaxis, laying hens are vaccinated at the age of 20 weeks. Positively reacting chickens are slaughtered.
In addition to the diseases already listed, many others can be named. One thing is common to almost all diseases: the treatment of an infectious disease for chickens was not developed. 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 number of cases a panacea for all diseases is used: an ax, then 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 crowding in winter chicken coop and a lack of vitamins and minerals.The most common disease of chickens in winter, eimeriosis, is caused precisely by overcrowding in a small area.
If the decrease in egg production in winter is most likely due to short daylight hours, then pecking of eggs, and sometimes plucking of feathers and pecking of the body to meat can be caused by stress or a lack of micronutrients.
Under stress caused by too dense planting of chickens per unit area, chickens are organized walks in the aviary, driving them into the hen house only at night. The rest of the time, chickens are free to enter and exit the barn.
When chickens are self-spreading and eating eggs, feed chalk and feed sulfur are added to the diet.
Usually, if the addition of chalk and sulfur does not prevent eggs from pecking, the pest hen is slaughtered.
“Sitting on their paws,” if it’s not an infection, stems 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 sheds in the spring and release the chickens outside.
For the prevention of most winter diseases, it will be enough to provide the chickens with walking and a balanced diet.
Invasive diseases of chickens
Diseases caused by parasites. These diseases develop well in crowded conditions. Invasive diseases include:
- arachnoses;
- helminthiasis;
- feather eater.
When infected with a feather eater, the bird feels itching on the body and tries to get rid of it by pulling the feather out of itself.
The feather eater is a large enough insect that it can be detected even with the naked eye. And sometimes you can feel how it crawls on your hand. Like any cutaneous parasite, the feather-eater is easily removed by any means for animals from ticks and fleas. In fact, this is a chicken analogue of fleas and lice that parasitize mammals.
Helminthiases are treated with anthelmintic drugs according to the scheme indicated separately for each drug. For preventive purposes, deworming in chickens is carried out every 4 months.
Knemidocoptosis or itch mite can parasitize in chickens under the scales on their paws, causing tumors, or in feather follicles, which causes the bird to itch and pull out the feather. Acaricidal drugs work well against it, which can be bought at the pharmacy or ask your veterinarian.
The photo shows a chicken paw infected with a tick.
Causes of non-communicable broiler diseases and their elimination
Non-communicable diseases in broilers are usually caused by non-compliance with the temperature or regime and diet of feeding.
Enteritis can be a sign of an infectious disease. Other diseases: gastritis, dyspepsia, cuticulitis, are usually the result of an unbalanced diet or feeding with poor quality feed. It is easy to eliminate the causes of these diseases, it is enough to transfer the chickens to high-quality factory feed in order to exclude the contamination of homemade feed with pathogenic microorganisms. Plant feed should also be stored in a cool dry place.
Bronchopneumonia is a consequence of hypothermia in chickens, provided that a secondary infection enters the respiratory tract. They are treated with antibiotics.
Signs of hypothermia: frothy discharge from the eyes and nasal openings of the beak. In addition, such a chicken trembles all over. A simple cold disappears 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 must be increased.
When overheated, the chicks try to move as far away from the heat source as possible. Are inactive. They often lie with their beaks on the floor. The temperature is reduced.
Despite the number of diseases that are detrimental to an individual, the chicken as a species is not going to give way to any other poultry. And in fact, subject to the necessary sanitary standards, chicken diseases are not as terrible as they might seem. Although one must be prepared for the loss of the entire chicken population.
