Home      Poultry Health Issues
 “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plow, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals.”
                   Other Poultry Heath Problems

                   Nutritional deficiencies

 
Minerals Deficiency Symptoms
Calcium Rickets, poor egg shell quality.
Phosphorous Rickets, poor egg shell quality.
Zinc Poor feathering, short bones.
Vitamins
A    Decreased growth, production ataxia (muscles uncoordinated). Night blindness. Embryos die at second and third day of incubation. Xerophthalmia (tearing of eye, cornea becomes softened).
D    Soft, spongy beaks and bones. Poor egg quality, thin shells, rickets in young birds.
E    Low hatchability. Embryos die at fourth day of incubation. Degeneration of muscles.
K    Hemorrhages in body cavity. Thin blood, poor clotting.
Riboflavin In young: slipped sciatic nerve. Flabby muscles. Crippled legs, feet. Sprattled legs, walk on hocks. Club down on dead embryos. Old birds: dry skin, refusal to walk, decreased production.
Niacin Poor feathering, bowed legs, twisted legs, enlarged hock joints. Dermatitis.
Thiamine Unsteady gate, weak legs.
Pantothenic Acid Scab-like lesions on corners of beak, on feet. Broken feathers, dermatitis, large liver, yellow liver.
Biotin Embryos, shortened long bones, webbing between toes, parrot beak, deaths at 7 days or 3 days before hatching. Adults dermatitis on feet around eyes and beak.

Diseases: External Parasites

Introduction

  • Live on or in skin and feathers of birds.
  • Include lice, flies, fleas, mites, ticks

Clinical Signs

  • Fleas may be found on the head of the bird where they suck blood.  Fleas cause irritation and blood loss, weakness  and reduced production. May cause mortalities especially in chicks.
  • Ticks can be found on the head of the bird and regions with few feathers in adults.  Ticks also infest shelters (e.g. may be found under the bark of branches used to build shelters).  The ticks suck blood and cause weakness.
  • Lice can be found all over the body.  The lice feed from feathers and some suck blood causing weakness.  A heavy infestation causes a weak or sick chicken that does not clean its feathers.
  • Mites can be found all over the body or in chicken houses or nests.  The mites suck blood causing weakness, itching and restlessness.  This results in anaemia and decreased production.
  • Flies and mosquitoes can annoy or suck blood from birds.  Mosquitoes may assist the transmission of Fowl pox.

Diagnosis

  • Confirmed by demonstration of the parasite.

Samples

  • Examine head, legs and vent for parasites.
  • Examine roosts and walls of chicken house.

Transmission

  • Spread from bird to bird.

Treatment

  • Repeated application of kerosene on fleas.
  • Smoke shelter and nests.
  • Use suitable insecticides to spray shelter and empty nests when available.
  • Ash should be spread on the floors and walls of poultry shelters.

Prevention and Control

  • Management and good housing hygiene.
  • Remove bark from timber used to construct shelters to reduce hiding sites for ticks and micks.
  • Clean shelter and nests regularly.
  • Place chicken manure on gardens and mix into soil to prevent flies from developing in the manure.
  • Keep brooding hens free from fleas to prevent infestation of young chicks. Plants which repel fleas are used in some countries to line nests
  • Allow chickens to bathe in sand or ash to clean their feathers.
  • Apply insecticide to individual birds and housing.
  • Other poultry, dogs, cats and rats should be screened since they may serve to maintain flea invasions.
  • Sunlight, hot dry weather, excessive moisture and freezing hinder development of fleas
Poultry Diseases are something every Marans breeders has concerns over. Marans Breeders invest substantial amounts of money in Marans and breeders expose them to other poultry when they are  presented the in shows. These are  basic guidelines to access to. They may not cover everything and it is always best to seek an expert when in doubt about the health of one of your birds.









Poultry Disease Fact Sheet
1. Disease: "Impaired,.afflicted state, deviation of normal healthy state"

    A. How diseases are spread:
       1. Through feed and water
       2. Bird to bird contact
              a. Poultry and swap shows
              b. Carrier birds
              c. New stock
              d. Free flying birds             
       3. People
       4. Equipment, carrying cases, feed sacks, etc.
       5. Contaminated litter and soil
       6. Flies, mosquitoes and parasites
       7. Lack of nutrient
B. Prevention of disease
   1. Buy from known, well-managed sources
   2. Careful introduction of new stock; quarantine
   3. Keep visitors away or take proper bio-security measures
   4. Don't visit other farms unless you take proper measures
   5. Dispose of dead birds promptly and properly
   6. Follow tight sanitation and disinfection measures
   7. Control insects
   8. Don't allow your flock contact with wild birds or wild waterways
   9. Vaccination if warranted
 C. Recognize and diagnosis
       1. Know what is normal activity, growth of your bird
       2. Diseases are caused by viruses, bacteria, feed deficiencies, toxins, parasites and others
       3. Post birds which die and look for abnormalities
       4. Symptoms: bird's actions and visible problems; droopy, ruffled feathers, watery eyes
       5. Lesions: usually things shown by autopsy
       6. If abnormality exists, consult experienced or professional help
              a. Private veterinarian or poultry expert
              b. Country Extension Agent
       7. Keep a flock history. Record any vaccinations, medications or inspections. Keep a record of dead birds (date and possible reason for death). Keep a general flock record of age of birds, feed ration and environmental conditions.
    D. Treatment of disease
       1. Get proper diagnosis
       2. Treat promptly, properly
       3. Follow treatment directions, precautions
       4. Don't substitute drugs for management

Disease Diagnosis
Disease Symptoms Prevention/Control
Avian Influenza
(Virus)		 Mild form: Decline egg production - Mild respiratory disorder - Sneezing- coughing - Low mortality Systemic form: Chronic respiratory infection - Sinuses filled with cheese (like plugs) - Drowsiness, swelling of heads - High mortality Serological test only means of proper diagnosis - Prevent through vaccination - Vaccination not successful because of the many serotypes and short immunities - Management best prevention - De-population best control
Blackhead
(Protozoan)		 Sulfur colored droppings - Enlarged ceca with cheese-like core - Large saucer- shaped lesions on the liver - 50% mortality after 15 days Rotate range and keep different ages of bird separate - dimetridayole is an effective treatment
Cholera
(Bacterium)		 Listless, refusal to eat or drink - Rapid loss of flesh - Diarrhea, severe drop in egg production - Darkened head and combs - Swollen or paralyzed feet, head and legs - Swollen wattles and high temperatures. Lesions: Hemorrhages on heart and liver - hemorrhages on gizzard and intestines - light spots visible on liver and heart Sanitation, rotate range - dispose of carcasses promptly - vaccines are available - treatment of sulfa-tracylines
Coccidiosis
(Protozoan)		 Low mortality - loss of weight and poor growth - Bloody droppings - Intestines or ceca are swollen, bloody mucus when opened - Many types of coccidia; each affect different portion of intestine or ceca. Coccidia are always present - good sanitation, dry litter - use of a coccidiostat helpful - change coccidiostat so coccidia does not become resistant - treatments of sulfas are effective for early outbreaks
Fowl Pox
(Virus)		 "Wet Pox" - labored breathing nasal/eye discharge, facial swelling - canker are found in the mouth - cankers are found in the throat and windpipe "Dry Pox" brown/yellow bumps on face, comb and body - bumps look like scabs in 2-4 weeks. Vaccination best prevention. Fishzole is a great unapproved method to  treating Dry/Wet Pox.. Has been stated there is no cure. Only ease of symptoms.
Infectious Bronchitis
(Virus)		 Respiratory noises in both chicks and old birds - gasping rales and coughing - wet nasals and eyes - inactive, tend to huddle - Declined feed consumption - dropped egg production with soft-shelled, misshaped eggs and poor egg quality - lower mortality Vaccination - no specific treatment established - must make affected birds as comfortable as possible - increase heat to eliminate drafts
Infectious Coryza
(Bacteria)		 Sneezing - clogging of nostrils and sinuses with a sticky, putrid smelling exudate - exudate accumulates and causes swelling of face, eyes and wattles - cheesy core sometimes develops in eye Caused by stress, drafts - birds which recover from severe infections become carriers and seem to become ill often - sulfa drugs have been a satisfactory treatment
Laryngo-tracheitis
(Virus)		 Coughing, sneezing, difficult breathing - depressed - stretches neck when inhaling (causing sound as they breathe) - occasional facial swelling - medium to high mortality Lesions: bloody mucus in the trachea - cheesy plug at the upper trachea, usually causing death (get lab diagnosis) Vaccination is only treatment - Quarantine
Merek's
(Virus)		 Paralysis - slower growth and feathering - usually no signs Lesions: swelling in the peripheral nerves in legs and wings - tumors on some visceral organs Vaccination - no treatment available
Newcastle
(Virus)		 Coughing, sneezing, rattling in the windpipe - decreased feed consumption - increased water consumption - nervous symptoms and paralysis - heads down or in circles - stopping egg production - many soft shelled eggs - yellowish cloudy air sacs Vaccination - no treatment available
 
Check List between healthy and disease birds.

Feature Normal Unhealthy
Posture Bird stands erect. Head and tail elevated. Head held close to body, tail and possibly wings droop, neck twisted with head held over back or between legs.
Head Comb and wattles bright red in color. Face parts filled out. Eyes bright and alert. Nostrils clean, free of exudate. Comb and wattles shrunken, pale or blue in color. Face parts shrunken. Eyes dull, may be held only partly open. Nostrils caked, crusted. Eyes watery. Sinus area below eye swollen or flutters with respiration.
Musculature When handled, bird has feeling of weight, when struggling has power in its movement. Loss of weight and strength. Muscle at point of the keel and near crop cavity shrunken, resulting in a thin breast.
Legs and Feet Scale covering clean and waxy. Legs filled out, joints are smooth and cool to the touch. Dehydrated with prominent tendons. Joints enlarged, warm to the touch. Bottom of feet cracked, crusted or discolored. Scales enlarged and crusty.
Feathers Smooth, neat and clean. Feathers not preened. Feathers fluffed out or broken. Staining in areas of abdomen. Bird generally ruff looking.
Pigmentation Characteristic for breed and strain, period of production. Reduced depth of color. In adult hens an excess of yellow pigment may result from disease reducing rate of lay.
Appetite and Thirst Eat and drink frequently. Loss of appetite or excessive drinking.
Respiration Absence of noise. Breathing through nostrils. Movement of abdominal wall barely perceptible. when pen temperature exceeds 85¨ F. healthy adult poultry will breathe through the open mouth. Young chicks will demonstrate this at temperatures about 100¨ F. Gurgling, rattling, snickering noise; gasping; obvious movement of abdominal wall.
Manure Gray, brown, white caps. Mass has definite form. Droppings firm, sticky, not firm. Dropping passed from ceca may be frothy.