Chickens are very persistent and picky birds, but there are situations when they too get sick. The most common problem is chicken leg diseases. There is no need to panic right away, but treatment should be started immediately. Make it a rule to inspect your chickens every day so that you can detect the disease in time and treat it at an early stage. The most common leg diseases in chickens are knemidocoptic mange, arthritis, tenosynovitis, crooked toes, and tendon displacement. Be sure to eradicate the cause of the disease before you begin to treat the disease.
So, let's take a closer look at the symptoms and treatment methods for each disease.
Knemidocoptic mange has several names, such as scabies or “lime foot.” This disease is quite common in domestic chickens, but if detected early, it is very easy to treat. First of all, when you discover the disease, isolate the sick bird away from the chicken coop, since knemidocoptic mange is a viral disease and is very easily transmitted. It is also worthwhile to disinfect the entire room where the sick chicken was located, change all bedding, feeders and other equipment.
Most often, knemidocoptic mange occurs due to scabies mites. It penetrates the paws and gnaws microscopic passages for itself, in which it then lays eggs, from which larvae form. All this activity of the subcutaneous mite causes impossible itching and the chicken does not find a place for itself. If you miss the moment when the disease is just beginning, it can turn into a chronic disease that will no longer be curable.
The symptoms of this disease are very obvious:
All this brings great discomfort to the chicken, so it behaves nervously, anxiously, and often does not want to go into the chicken coop. Mites are most disturbing at night, which prevents the chicken from sleeping.
The causative agent of knemidocoptic mange is the scabies mite.
If the disease is detected on time, then the treatment is extremely simple: prepare an ordinary soap solution and immerse the chicken’s paws in it for 20-30 minutes. After this procedure, you need to treat them with a 1% creolin solution; in the absence of this medicine, you can use birch tar. You can safely carry out procedures with a sick bird and not be afraid of infection, since the “chicken” mite does not spread to people.
Arthritis is inflammation of the joints and the tissues adjacent to them. The disease is very unpleasant and painful, causing great discomfort to the chicken, as it is not able to move normally. It is worth noting that broiler chickens are much more likely to suffer from this disease.
Tenosynovitis is an age-related disease and often affects older chickens. Very often, these diseases are also called “dirty foot disease.” There are several causes: paw injuries, viruses or bacteria. If this disease affects chickens, this indicates improper care. It is worth doing a general cleaning, changing all the bedding, washing the drinking bowls and feeders.
It is very easy to determine the disease:
If these diseases are detected, it is best to consult a veterinarian so that he can prescribe the correct treatment. Often these are antiviral medications, as well as antibiotics. For example, ampicillin, sulfadimethoxine, benzylpenicillin and others. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease, but on average it is about a week. The drug can be administered intramuscularly or added to food.
Often, a chicken develops the disease “crooked fingers” in the first weeks of its life. The reasons can be different, for example, a cold floor in the room or mechanical injury, and this disease can also be hereditary.
With this disease, the chicken walks on the side surfaces of its legs. Crooked fingers cannot be treated; all you can do is create comfortable conditions. To prevent this disease, keep chickens in suitable conditions from childhood. If you suspect that the disease is genetically transmitted, it is advisable to change the breeding hen.
There is only one symptom of the disease and it is difficult to confuse it with something else: the hock joints swell to an unnatural size and then turn outward. If the disease is advanced, the chicken begins to refuse water and food. In this case, the issue of slaughtering such a bird needs to be raised. Unfortunately, the disease cannot be completely cured, but adding vitamin B and manganese to the diet will help improve the situation a little.
Remember, it is much easier to avoid a disease than to cure it. Therefore, if you decide to seriously start raising these wonderful birds, you should not skimp on feed or mineral supplements; also create comfortable conditions for their living. And rest assured, you will be pleased with the results.
The video talks about the conditions in which broiler chickens should be kept and how to feed them so that they do not get sick.
Today, many people keep chickens in their backyard - this activity brings a good profit. But the success of this business depends on the experience of the owner, because it is necessary to quickly respond to emerging problems and diseases of the legs of chickens. First of all, you should learn to notice symptoms in a timely manner, and for this, the habit of examining the inhabitants of your yard every day is important. Many broilers have leg diseases.
Leg diseases in chickens
It only takes a little observation of the birds to realize that one of the chickens has a problem with their legs. Sometimes a chicken stands on one leg, but few people react to such a symptom, but in vain. This behavior indicates a violation of the condition. Among chicken leg diseases, the first place is occupied by lameness and the so-called calcareous leg. The feathered inhabitants of the yard may have paralysis, crooked and curly fingers.
If among the chickens you notice an individual that is limping, falls on its foot, has difficulty moving, or the chicken does not stand on its feet, then it is urgent to immediately isolate it and examine it very carefully. And the sooner you separate the sick bird from the rest, the better it will be for it - among its relatives it will only get worse: they will beat it, not allow it to eat, which will only worsen its condition.
What is the cause of chicken lameness and its symptoms? Most often, if a chicken is limping, this is the main symptom of some illness or injury. A chicken can receive mechanical injuries such as cuts to the feet or fingers, for example from glass fragments; the bird can sprain ligaments, dislocate, bruise a leg, or damage muscles. Lameness can also be a consequence of dietary deficiency. Broilers can suffer from lameness due to the fact that they are growing rapidly and gaining weight. Lameness can also appear in birds that have growths or spurs. They appear mainly in adults and can develop due to poor-quality flooring. In any case, the spur or growths must be removed.
A chicken can also begin to limp because it develops a disease of its internal organs, namely the kidneys. This symptom of kidney disease becomes quite understandable if we take into account that it is through this organ that the nerves that are “responsible” for the activity of chicken legs pass.
The symptom may gradually increase in severity, from a barely noticeable limp to a deep lameness, affecting one or both legs at once. The appearance of the joint changes - it swells, becomes larger, and takes on an unnatural position. The hen may also limp because her legs are shaking. After running a short distance, the legs may “break” or the hen may not be able to stand for long and has difficulty getting up on her feet.
First of all, you should examine the chicken’s legs to see if there are any mechanical damages. Sometimes it happens as a result of a fall from a perch, the chicken lies on its side, the legs swell, this occurs due to injury. It also happens that a bird accidentally gets entangled in some rope, fishing line, or wire. If it is not released in time, such fetters can cause great harm to the chicken. If you are convinced that the cause of lameness is only an injury, then you need to treat according to the minimum plan.
First, you need to carry out isolation from other individuals (but since these are gregarious birds, it is better for the sick laying hen to see her relatives through a net), complete food enriched with vitamins, and treatment of existing injuries or scratches. For cuts and punctures, use hydrogen peroxide, iodine or brilliant green. If the limping individual has no visible injuries, then it is worth showing it to the veterinarian.
The bones, joints and ligaments on the legs of chickens are not strong enough, so there is no need to catch them by the legs - this can easily cause injury, even a fracture. Try to place the perches so that the birds have easy access to the perch - without obstacles that could damage them if they fly down. Of course, you need to ensure that no sharp objects get into the herd’s habitat and monitor cleanliness.
Arthritis is the process of inflammation of the joint capsules and tissues adjacent to them. Broilers are most susceptible to arthritis. Tenosynovitis is an inflammation of the tendons. This disease is more common in older individuals. This disease is not uncommon in roosters. These diseases can arise for various reasons - both mechanical in nature and due to the entry of a pathogen (bacteria, virus).
But still, this is more of a disease of dirty feet. In broiler chickens, the disease can be a consequence of improper maintenance: large crowding of birds, untimely replacement of litter, unbalanced feed. A bird with this disease not only cannot walk, but even sitting on a perch causes her pain. The first thing to do is to improve the living conditions of the birds.
At home, you cannot do without antibiotics and antiviral agents. The following drugs will be needed: ampicillin, sulfadimethoxine, polymyxin M. One of these drugs is given to infected individuals along with food for 5 days. The dosage and the drug itself are prescribed exclusively by a veterinarian, taking into account the characteristics of your chicken and the stage of the disease.
It is also necessary to tidy up the room where the individuals are kept. The main thing is cleanliness and dryness in the chicken coop. And to prevent food and dirt from sticking to their paws and causing growths on them, you can place feeders into which the chickens will not be able to climb with their paws. The second is to strengthen the chickens’ immunity, for which vitamins and microelements need to be added to the feed.
Chickens can get this disease during the first month of their life. It is necessary to distinguish between two types of disease: crooked toes, when the individual walks with its paws tucked to the side, and curly paws, which somehow bend down, which makes the bird walk “on tiptoe.” The symptom of crooked toes is completely obvious: when moving, an individual relies only on the side surface of its paws or on one limb.
The disease occurs due to mechanical trauma, cold floors in the chicken coop, mesh floors, and also due to violations of the rules of the incubation period. Heredity can also play a role. Therefore, in such cases, when there are no obvious reasons for the bird’s crooked fingers, it is not worth leaving it for breeding. You can see the curvature of fingers in poultry in more detail in a photo or video.
It is already too late to treat such a disease if the individual has grown up. It is appropriate to talk only about prevention. And for chickens you need to create the right living conditions. In the case of a genetic cause of the disease, a different tribe is needed. During incubation, strict compliance with all conditions is required. And under no circumstances should chickens be kept on a cold floor or on a mesh floor.
In essence, this is developing paralysis of the legs. The individual walks on the tips of its toes, curved downwards. She can't straighten them. The same thing as a bird losing its legs. The disease is acquired by a bird in the first few weeks of life. Usually this is caused by food that does not have enough riboflavin and the result is that the paws are taken away. Chickens with this disease die quickly. And the surviving chicks do not grow well, so there is no point in keeping them any longer. There is only one symptom - the bird walks with difficulty, standing on its toes.
In the initial stages, even if the manifestation is mild, multivitamins with riboflavin should be given in high doses. But if the disease is advanced, nothing can be fixed. It is necessary to change the breeding bird if chicks hatch with congenital characteristics. The young brood should be fed with balanced food. In winter, include more greens and vitamins in your chickens' diet. With a nutritious diet, individuals acquire strong and stable immunity.
It is very important to detect this disease in time and begin its treatment, because it is what causes many diseases in broilers. This disease is not uncommon for fast-growing birds. But you can avoid it, for which you need to feed the bird in a balanced manner, paying special attention to the content of vitamin B. The hock joints of chickens swell and take on an unnatural shape - they turn outward.
At the initial stage of the disease, it is easy to defeat. To make a diagnosis, you should invite a veterinarian. Sometimes it is enough to simply show a photograph of a sick chicken and an experienced specialist will confirm or deny the presence of tendon displacement.
Manganese and vitamin B, which must be added to the feed, can alleviate the disease. During periods of vitamin deficiency, vitamin B can be given in combination with other supplements. The best prevention of perosis is genetic selection. Also, do not forget about balanced feed and vitamin supplements. Young animals must be fed properly from birth. Immediately after birth, the young should be with their parents.
This disease is also called calcareous foot or scabies. This disease is quite common. With timely treatment, the disease can be cured. But it should be borne in mind that the disease is contagious - the scabies mite is easily transmitted both through direct contact of individuals and through equipment. The scratched areas turn red, and the skin may have small holes in some places. Knemidocoptosis is considered a chronic disease if the disease is neglected. The essence of the disease is that ticks live in the unfeathered part of the leg, make moves and lay eggs in the tissues, from which larvae develop.
Due to the constant itching on the side caused by mites, the infected bird behaves very restlessly. Especially at night or in warm conditions - the most favorable conditions for ticks. Over time, the scales begin to peel off and become covered with a coating similar to limescale, and then fall off. If the fingers are affected, growths form on them. You can suspect scabies by the growths on your legs. The scales on the legs have a white coating; over time, they peel off and fall off. Due to itching, the bird may peck at wounds on its legs. She behaves restlessly and is reluctant to go into the chicken coop.
Treating chicken scabies is very simple. Method 1: you need to prepare a soap solution. The legs of a sick bird must be kept in it for 20-30 minutes. After such a bath, the paws should be treated with a 1% creolin solution. Method 2: Birch tar is also suitable for treatment, which should be used to treat problem areas. To prevent the scabies mite from spreading to the farmstead and affecting the entire flock, you just need to regularly examine the birds and take timely measures if the disease is detected.
For humans, the causative agent of chicken scabies is completely safe - no cases of transmission of this mite to humans have been identified. It must be borne in mind that problems with the paws of birds can also arise due to other diseases. In particular, we are talking about infectious diseases that can affect chicken legs: pasteurellosis, coccidiosis, ornithosis.
This entire list of diseases should not frighten the amateur poultry farmer and force him to abandon his favorite and profitable business. You just need to remember: the majority of diseases are treatable if they are diagnosed in time and measures are taken. The owner of the poultry yard should not forget that it is not always possible to make a diagnosis on your own. If the cause of the disease is not entirely clear or is in doubt, then it is better to contact a professional.
A veterinarian will help make a diagnosis and determine exactly why the chickens have abnormal legs. A correct diagnosis and timely treatment is what will prevent the spread of the disease and save the entire bird population. Keep the room clean and have good air ventilation. Be sure to set a normal feeding regimen and periodically change the diet to make it varied.
Among the animals raised in households, the most common type is poultry - chickens, ducks and geese. Therefore, every owner pays great attention to the health of the birds, providing them with adequate feeding, quality care and maintenance. But sometimes when keeping and raising birds, owners are faced with a number of diseases, both infectious and non-infectious, that cause significant material damage associated with their treatment or death.
One of the problems that worries private owners is chickens falling on their feet. What is the reason for this death and is there a treatment?
It must be said that chickens can fall on their feet at different periods of their lives and each of them has its own reasons. The most common diseases are non-communicable:
A chronic disease that manifests itself when chickens fall on their legs and damage the skeletal system. The reason may be a lack of vitamin D in feed due to inadequate feeding, where there is a lack of calcium or phosphorus in the diet. As well as keeping chickens in insufficiently lit poultry houses, without free range, which leads to a decrease in their ultraviolet radiation and disruption of the natural production of vitamin D in the body.
Symptoms: The general condition of the bird is lethargic, feathers are ruffled, some of them are missing on the tail and wings. Curvature of the tibia and partial lameness are observed, due to the curvature of the spine and paws, nodules appear on the ribs. The beak and breastbone of chicks and young chickens become soft and can bend when pressed. If left untreated, the disease can result in death from softening (osteomalacia) of the bones.
In adult chickens, falling on their feet occurs due to a violation of the ratio of calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood and bones. With an increase in phosphorus in the blood, calcium is washed out of the bones, which leads to a violation of their integrity and weakening. In addition, there is a violation of oviposition with disruption of the formation of the egg shell. Also, the development of rickets can be caused by a lack of solar ultraviolet radiation when chickens are kept indoors, in cages without free range, which leads to a decrease in appetite.
Treatment: Treatment boils down to giving vitamin and mineral supplements (tricalcium phosphate, green food, increasing the light regime of the day and sufficient walking).
Calcareous disease of chickens, which is characterized by increased formation and accumulation of uric acid and salts in the joints of the paws and in the body.
The reasons for the development of the disease are overcrowding of chickens when kept in cages, as well as long-term feeding of concentrated feed with a high content of meat and bone or fish meal.
The disease is characterized by damage to the joints due to the deposition of limescale in their capsule. Clinically, this is manifested by an increase in the joints of the legs, they become hard and deformed. Bump-shaped growths appear on the surface of the paws. Chickens have difficulty getting up and sitting down from their nests, walking with a limp and often falling on their feet.
Treatment for gout consists of normalizing the bird's nutritional diet, reducing the feeding of poultry feed and switching to whole grains and green mass.
Inflammatory diseases of the paw joints of chickens, as well as their joint sheaths and muscle tendons. They can be both an independent disease and manifestations of various types of viral or bacterial infections (collibacteriosis, mycoplasmosis, staphyloccocosis, salmonellosis) when birds are kept on a dirty floor. Therefore, these diseases are called dirty feet disease. All types of joints are affected, but most commonly the tarsometatarsal joints and toe joints.
Visually, the disease manifests itself as swelling and redness of the joints, they become hot to the touch and painful when touched. The chickens refuse to stand up and fall. There is a limping on the paws when walking.
Antibiotics and antiviral drugs are prescribed (sulfadimitoxin (100-200 mg/kg), ampicillin (15-20 mg/kg), polymyxin-M sulfate (50,000 units per 1 kg of weight)). The drugs are added to food or water for 5 days.
A disease characterized by inflammation of the skin on the sole of the paws in the presence of wounds, cracks, or cuts. The disease occurs when chickens are kept on a dirty floor in a cramped chicken coop with insufficient lighting and ventilation.
Lameness is observed, chickens stand on their paws with caution, and when standing, press the affected paw towards the body. Inflamed skin is thickened, painful, and hot to the touch. Dead dense tissue accumulates in the joint capsules.
Treatment is symptomatic. It is necessary to monitor the sanitary condition of the chicken coop and change the litter often. Give birds vitamin preparations, lubricate their paws with tetracycline, syntamycin ointment or fish oil.
A contagious disease characterized by lameness associated with inflammation of the tendons and joints of the paws. The causative agent of the disease is reovirus.
Lameness and low mobility of the bird, and with a long course of the disease is accompanied by rupture of the tibia and erosion of articular cartilage. The general condition of the bird is characterized by poor digestibility of feed, loss of skin pigmentation, loss of weight and egg production.
Treatment is timely vaccination.
Avian osteoarthritis (avian staphylococcosis) is a contagious infectious disease of domestic and wild birds, the causative agent of which is purulent (pyogenic) staphylococcus. The disease is characterized by arthritis, dermatitis and septicemia. The mortality rate of birds is 80-90%. Geese, ducks, chickens and turkeys are most often affected. The pathogen is transmitted through sick birds, feed and water.
In chickens, the joints (arthritis), tendon sheaths (tenosynovitis) are severely affected, and with a long course of the disease, paralysis of the legs develops. Birds also experience loss of appetite and indigestion.
A disease of birds caused by a DNA-containing herpes virus. The classic form of the disease is manifested by lameness, abnormal body posture with sagging wings and tail, and twisting of the neck. In chickens, there is a change in the color of the iris, as well as loss of body weight, refusal of food and loss of strength.
Raising chickens is a profitable business and many farmers know this, however, not everyone understands that it is also labor-intensive and troublesome. And before real profit comes, you need to learn a lot, namely, choose food, follow the rules of keeping, and when a bird is sick, it is necessary to treat it correctly. In this article we will try to answer some questions that a novice or experienced poultry farmer may have in the process of raising chickens: “Why do birds fall on their feet?”, “What diseases cause damage to the paws of chickens?”, “How and when to treat these illness?
Leg diseases in poultry have a negative impact on poultry production, and more precisely on its economic condition. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are no exception.
Economic damage from diseases:
The reason why chickens acquire various diseases of the musculoskeletal system, unfortunately, is not one, but a great many. Let's look at them in more detail.
Main etiological factors of diseases:
It is necessary to treat rickets, and for this they use:
Prevention and therapy:
Gout or urolithiasis is a metabolic disease (associated with poor nutrition and metabolic disorders in poultry), which is characterized by the deposition of uric acid salts in joints and muscles.
Why does gout occur?
The main reasons are impurities of fertilizers in forage plants and improper nutrition.
Why do chickens lame?
Arthritis is inflammation of the joints, their membranes and surrounding tissues.
Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the tendons.
The diseases often cannot be treated.
Non-inflammatory tendon diseases.
Knemidocoptic mange (calcareous paw) is an infectious disease of the paws, caused by infection with scabies mites.
In almost every private home, the owners keep chickens - this is not too burdensome and at the same time the family diet is enriched with fresh homemade eggs and poultry meat. Large farms are also successfully mastering this profitable business. But, as in any other occupation, poultry farming has its pitfalls, in this case these are leg diseases in chickens. Let's look at why chickens lose mobility, “fall on their feet,” how to prevent illness, and what treatment to apply to an already sick bird.
Diseases in which chickens become severely lame or practically unable to move are associated with bone damage. One of the possible reasons in this case is considered to be a lack of vitamin D in the bird’s body.
Possible causes of vitamin deficiency:
Prevention: To prevent vitamin deficiency in birds, it is recommended to pay attention to food - nutrition should be complete. Multivitamins are regularly added to mixed feeds.
Arthritis is a disease in which the joint capsules and tissues adjacent to the joint become inflamed. Most often, young broilers are susceptible to arthritis. Tenosynovitis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the tendons. Adults and old chickens usually get it.
Causes:
Chickens with such diseases suffer greatly; they experience constant pain when moving, and cannot climb and stay on a roost.
Causes of lameness:
Prevention:
Knemidocoptosis is a disease popularly known as “calcareous feet.” This disease is quite common. If diagnosed early, it can be easily cured. This is a contagious disease: if no measures are taken, the entire chicken family will soon become infected. Without treatment, poultry knemidocoptic mange develops into a chronic disease. Infection occurs when the causative agent of the disease, the scabies mite, gets under the skin. Infection of healthy chickens from a sick chicken occurs through direct contact (sitting nearby on a roost, pecking food nearby), through litter on the floor, through feeders and drinkers.
Symptoms:
This treatment will definitely help, since scabies is easily curable.
Video: treatment of knemidocoptosis in chickens Prevention:
Chickens can get this foot disease in the first month of life. With crooked toes, the chicken walks, waddling, leaning on the outer sides of the foot. Chickens with such a defect are not left for breeding, since there is always the possibility that it is a genetic deformity. Causes of the disease:
Symptoms: a peculiar gait; a chicken with crooked toes rests on the sides of its legs when walking.
Treatment: There is no cure for this disease.
Curly toes is a disease in which the fingers are paralyzed, the chicken walks on tiptoes, while its fingers are in a bent (downward) position. Bent fingers do not straighten even with strong pressure.
As with crooked toes, a chicken gets curly toe disease in the first two to three weeks of life. Sick young animals most often die; the rare surviving chickens have a clear delay in development and growth.
Cause: lack of riboflavin (vitamin B2) in feed.
Symptoms: a sick chicken walks only on tiptoes, leaning on its fingers curled downward.
Treatment:
The second name for gout is urolithiasis. This disease manifests itself in the deposition of uric acid salts in the muscles and joints of the legs.
Symptoms:
Diseases of chickens with large body weight often begin with perosis (tendon displacement), which is why it is so important to diagnose it in time and begin treatment. This disease is provoked by rapidly increasing weight and a lack of vitamin B in the growing body. All this is typical of young birds. Sick chickens do not drink or eat, and eventually die.
Symptoms: chickens' hock joints swell and turn out unnaturally.
Treatment: include additional portions of vitamin B and manganese in the birds' diet. This will relieve the severity of the symptoms a little, but will not help solve the problem completely.
The list of leg diseases in chickens can be continued with infectious diseases:
We hope that the above descriptions of leg diseases in chickens will help poultry owners to timely determine the type of disease and methods of treating it. Compliance with the above preventive measures when keeping poultry in most cases will help to completely avoid the development of diseases.
Breeding and keeping domestic chickens is an exciting and profitable activity. But they may develop pathologies and diseases for which prevention can be carried out. symptoms of the disease nevertheless appear , then a correct diagnosis should be made and surgical treatment should be undertaken.
May be a symptom of a viral infection (contagious runny nose, tuberculosis, colds, infectious bronchitis, mycoplasmosis). Symptoms are treated by insulating chicken coops, feeding birds with nettle decoction, and performing inhalations. Infectious chicken bronchitis can be eliminated with disinfectants (aluminum iodide, Glutek aerosol, Lugol's solution, chloroturpentine). Antibiotics are also used.
May appear when infected with worms , so an anti-parasite remedy should be given. If the birds do not have worms, then preventive therapy is carried out. A cough can be a symptom of hypothermia, infectious bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, mycoplasmosis, and colibacillosis. In addition to bronchitis, cough may indicate other pathologies. Often a cough appears when new individuals arrive that are infected with an infection. Treatment methods include nettle decoction or inhalation with medications. Tetracycline and furazalidone are prescribed, which are added to drinking water.
Wheezing is not typical for the breathing of healthy chickens . They often appear with colds and bronchial diseases (bronchopneumonia, infectious bronchitis), colibacillosis. The chicken is breathing heavily, and wet and dry wheezing appears in the sternum area.
It can manifest itself as a result of colds, poor quality food, gastritis, stress, pullosis, worms, coccidiosis, pasteurellosis, salmonellosis, bird flu. In laying hens, a nervous breakdown is possible when frightened, or a change in the environment, and this may go away within a day. If the bird begins to cough due to colds due to hypothermia, it is transferred to a warm room. Poor quality food is excluded. To treat an illness, the diagnosis must be accurately determined; self-medication should not be prescribed.
In birds, a runny nose can appear as a result of infection by pathogenic fungi, bacteria, worms, coccidiosis and other serious pathologies (infectious bronchitis, smallpox, feed diphtheria). The cause of the pathology may be a lack of vitamin A, a change in diet, a change in temperature, or poor ventilation.
There are many causes of leg diseases in chickens . If they are kept incorrectly or lack of space, mobility decreases, which is why the musculoskeletal system is disrupted and the chickens begin to limp. Pathologies of the legs include gout, curvature of the fingers, joint diseases (tenosynovitis, arthritis and arthrosis), knemidocoptosis. The symptom may also be a sign of salmonellosis.
The bird may go blind as a result of sinusitis, panophthalmitis, or inflammation of the conjunctiva. To eliminate this symptom, antibiotic treatment is prescribed.
Many bird diseases are easier to prevent than to treat. Why can chickens still get sick? It is recommended to create appropriate conditions for chickens with optimal care . They are provided with the correct temperature and light conditions, timely nutrition, and hygiene of the chicken coop. But even in excellent conditions of detention there is no absolute protection against the appearance of pathologies. Most infections develop as a result of stress, insufficient movement, metabolic disorders and daily routine. The health of chickens is also subject to changes under changing climate zones.
To maintain health and prevent infections, the chicken coop must be kept clean and monitor your own hygiene. It is important to correctly identify the symptoms of diseases for proper treatment of infections .
The pathology manifests itself in adult and young birds, manifested by a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Bacteria, the causative agents of infection, are transmitted by airborne droplets from infected eggs and sick individuals. It manifests itself as profuse diarrhea, severe thirst, lack of appetite, general weakness and rapid breathing. Pullor antigen is used to determine the disease. When the pathogen is accurately identified, antibiotics (neomycin, biomycin) and isolation from healthy individuals are prescribed.
It manifests itself in young and adult individuals in the form of fever, thirst and lethargy. The infection affects the respiratory tract , resulting in wheezing that will increase with movement. But pathology is not always detected by wheezing; specialist help may be required. The causative agent is Escherichia coli , which affects internal organs.
After the diagnosis is determined, treatment is prescribed - penicillin, biomycin or terramycin is administered, multivitamins are added to the feed, only nutritious and fresh grain is recommended.
Pathology manifests itself in wild and domestic birds. The pathogen can remain in feed, water, manure for a long time, and is transmitted to healthy individuals from infected individuals. Prevention is to regularly clean and disinfect the poultry house.
Symptoms of the pathology are blue discoloration of the scallop and earrings, lethargy, lack of appetite, severe thirst, digestive disorders, high fever and the formation of mucus in the nose. In the acute form of the pathology, swelling or curvature of the paw joints may appear.
Pasteurellosis in chickens
The basis of treatment is the use of sulfa drugs and adding them to feed and water. Birds are also given vitamins E, B, A and fresh herbs. Without treatment, the livestock dies.
mainly manifests itself in young individuals in the form of conjunctevitis, lameness, difficulty breathing, and high tearfulness. In advanced forms of the disease, chickens fall on their sides and die. Treatment with antibiotics (sulfanilamide, chlortetracycline, chloramphenicol) should not be delayed by adding small dosages to the feed for about 2 weeks.
The pathology is characterized by acute dysfunction of the nervous system and digestive organs. It is transmitted from birds and animals that were previously ill , through their water, feed and droppings, and cannot be treated. After the defeat of birds, their mortality is observed, which can destroy all individuals.
It most often affects young birds and manifests itself as pockmarked growths on the skin in the area of the cloaca or head . At first they have a yellow tint, but gradually darken. If not treated immediately, the growths may join together and grow in size. They begin to bleed, harden and dry out.
Worms (helminthic parasites) exist and feed on the host. Almost all bird diseases are associated with worms, since their larvae are everywhere. The main symptoms of the pathology include weakness, indigestion, lack of appetite and severe weight loss. Treatment of helminths is similar to the use of preventive measures. At the same time, the poultry house is kept clean, high-quality and fresh feed and special preparations are chosen.
Sometimes poultry can be exposed to diseases that are not inherently contagious. But they cause no less harm than with infections. They do not have a specific pathogen and are mainly associated with inappropriate care of chickens, incorrect choice of feed, mechanical damage, and injuries.
The pathology manifests itself only in laying hens , the cause of which is an irregular or unbalanced diet, low quality compounds that can accumulate in the crop, forming an obstruction. The disease is easily determined by palpation of the goiter, which sag for a long time and is dense. In the absence of immediate help, the chicken dies instantly and abruptly , as the goiter blocks the jugular vein and respiratory tract.
Goiter atony in chickens
One of the treatment methods is to use a probe into which a couple of milliliters of vegetable oil are dripped, the hard crop is massaged and the bird is turned upside down, gradually removing the contents. After the procedure, it is advisable to pour a solution of potassium permanganate into the goiter.
Manifests itself as a result of feeding with low-quality feed, untimely feeding . When pathology appears, birds develop weakness, upset stomach and decreased appetite. To prevent and treat the disease, the causes are eliminated, quickly digestible feed, laxatives and antibiotics are introduced into the diet.
This is a simple indigestion that occurs in young animals that are 21 days old. The cause of the violation is the use of rough and poorly digestible food, poor quality and contaminated water. It can be acute or chronic, characterized by high fever, lack of appetite, bloating, cramps and diarrhea. Eliminate pathology with a diet containing foods that do not lead to rotting and fermentation.
The disease manifests itself in individuals who eat food lacking vitamins and mineral salts. The provocateur for the development of pathology is inappropriate keeping of birds. Cloacitis often affects laying hens that suffer from a decrease in weight, the number of eggs, and intestinal upset. When treating laying hens, they should be separated from the flock, the inflamed areas of the cloaca should be washed with a solution of rivanol, lubricated with a special composition.
Appears when chickens are not properly cared for. The pathology manifests itself in young individuals under 20 weeks of age with hypothermia. Symptoms include low mobility, severe wheezing and loss of appetite. Antibiotics are used for treatment in individual dosages.
The disease affects poultry kept in barns where there is no timely removal of droppings and cleaning . Fresh droppings are a source of ammonia, the vapors of which penetrate the bronchial passages and cause inflammation of the eyes. Pathology can be identified by wet, dirty plumage, watery eyes, and yellow accumulations on the eyelids. When the pathogen is eliminated, the sheds are cleared of droppings and the eyes are treated with chamomile decoction.
Keratoconjunctivitis in chickens
The disease often manifests itself in laying hens kept in cages for which mixtures are used. Symptoms of vitamin deficiency include lack of weight, conjunctevitis, loss of feathers, and weakness.
Diseases caused by insects belong to a separate section. Due to the variety of symptoms, a definite diagnosis may not be made, so treatment of pathologies is complex.
Diseases of chickens caused by insects
If you do not want to lose chickens, then you should periodically take preventive measures, separating sick individuals from healthy ones, destroying those who cannot be cured. Once every 30 days the poultry house should be treated with disinfectants . Birds need to be provided with proper care and a balanced diet.