POULTRY Chicken diseases: Part 1

Disease can spread rapidly among chickens as they are kept together in a cage or chicken house and share the same food and water.

Factors that contribute to disease among chickens include poor-quality food and water, poor hygiene, rat and fly problems, dusty bedding, and sharp wires in the cages (see panel).

Act quickly at the first signs of disease. Consult your animal health technician or veterinarian for help as soon as possible. He/she may cull some sick chickens and perform a necropsy to determine the cause of death. A necropsy may involve taking blood or egg samples, depending on the suspected disease, and sending them for tests. The animal health technician can also help you identify and correct management problems that might have led to the spread of disease.

COMMON DISEASES

Chickens are vulnerable to the following ailments caused by pathogens:

• Scours (also known as diarrhea or dirty vent) Signs of scours include loose droppings that are different in color to the usual droppings (perhaps containing blood) that may soil the feathers of the vent and become caked together; reluctance to eat, drink and move about; poor growth; and death.

Signs in dead chickens include red, swollen intestines with watery contents; and a yellow, buttery substance around the heart, liver, and intestines.