The most important diseases that poultry are exposed to
Poultry is exposed during its lifetime to many infectious and deadly diseases, and the seriousness of poultry diseases lies in their sudden occurrence, rapid spread and difficulty in controlling them, especially viral diseases.
 |
| Chickens |
Diseases affecting poultry
1- Viral diseases:
Newcastle disease.
- Infectious bronchitis disease.
Gumburu disease.
- Smallpox .
2- Bacterial diseases
the most important of which are the following:
Salmonella infection.
Chronic respiratory disease.
Bird cholera.
- Contagious cold.
3 - Parasitic diseases
the most important of which are the following:
Coccidioidomycosis.
- Infestation with roundworms.
Tapeworm infection.
- Infection with external insects such as lice, ticks and mites (causing scabies).
4- Fungal diseases
the most important of which are the following:
favos squash disease
Candidiasis thrush
Aspergillosis.
Fungal poisoning.
5- Diseases arising from malnutrition
the most important of which are the following:
Deficiency of vitamins A, E, K and B complex.
- Mineral salts deficiency such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc and manganese deficiency.
Viral diseases, the most important and dangerous of which is Newcastle disease
Newcastle disease
It is a rapidly spreading disease and is one of the most dangerous diseases that affect chickens of all ages. In addition, it affects turkeys, pigeons, and many types of wild and ornamental birds. Infection occurs by inhaling air or eating fodder or drinking water contaminated with the disease virus. The infection spreads through the close contact of sick or virus-carrying birds with healthy birds, or through the use of tools or feed contaminated with the secretions of sick birds.
Symptoms of the disease
It is summarized in the occurrence of lethargy, fluffiness of feathers, lack of inclination to eat, congestion of the crest, diarrhea that tends to a dark green color, accompanied by the appearance of mucous secretions from the nose and eyes, and difficulty in breathing. When the disease occurs, there is a sudden and severe decrease in egg production. The eggs of infected birds are characterized by being small in size, zig-zag, or with a fragile shell that is easy to break, and sometimes without a shell at all.
Actions to be taken when the disease occurs:
1. Immediate immunization of apparently healthy birds, using one of the Newcastle vaccines.
2. Slaughtering sick birds and disposing of their carcasses and the carcasses of dead birds either by burning or by burying them in deep pits.
3. Complete cleaning and disinfection of infected residences and all tools used
Measures to be taken to protect birds from disease:
1. Washing and disinfecting the bird pens before starting breeding.
2. Not raising chickens of different ages or different types of birds in the same place.
3. Ensure that mice or birds do not enter the chicken coops.
4. Considering that birds are not crowded inside the dwellings.
5. Taking care of good ventilation and providing integrated feed.
6. Periodic vaccination of chickens starting from the first week of life and at the age of 3 weeks, then every 2-3 months thereafter, with various Newcastle vaccines.
An example of a bacterial disease: Salmonella infection
Salmonella microbes infect different ages of chickens and lead to a delay in growth and death of a high percentage of newly hatched chicks and a decrease in egg production and in the fertility and hatching rates of hatching eggs. Most of the epidemics occur in chicks during the first three weeks of life and in chickens starting from the age of 3 months.
Hatching eggs produced by infected mothers are the most important source of infection for newly hatched chicks. Infection may occur in contaminated hatcheries, inhalation of polluted air, or consumption of feed or drinking water contaminated with Salmonella microbes.
Symptoms of the disease
Newly hatched chicks appear drowsy, unwillingness to eat, difficulty in breathing, and diarrhea, which may contaminate the area around the anus and end with death. For laying hens, there is a decrease in egg production and a decrease in the hatching rate and fertility of the resulting eggs.
Disease control and prevention methods
1. Producing chicks from disease-free mothers (by testing mothers).
2. Egg incubators and hatcheries must be cleaned and disinfected periodically after each batch.
3. Periodic cleaning and disinfection of poultry sheds and the tools used in them such as drinkers and feeders must be carried out.
4. Birds should not be added to the flock until they have been isolated for a period of at least two weeks and ensured that they are free from disease after testing them.
5. The poultry barn workers must take care not to transmit the infection to the birds.
6. Mice and flies must be eliminated from poultry farming areas.
7. Various animals must be kept away from pens in which birds are raised.
8. It must be ensured that the feed is free of salmonella microbes before using it.
9. In the event that the disease occurs in young chicks, it is preferable not to use them for breeding, and in the event that the disease occurs in adult chickens, it is preferable to dispose of them and disinfect the pens.
10. It is possible to use preventive medicines in the first period of life to reduce infections transmitted through hatching eggs.
An example of a parasitic disease: coccidiosis
Coccidiosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases that cause great economic losses to poultry breeders. This disease is caused by single-celled parasites called Emeria or coccidia parasites, which parasitize on the cells of the mucous membrane lining the intestines. Infection occurs by devouring infected birds of the coccidia parasite with fodder or drinking water contaminated with the feces of sick birds. The infection may be transmitted by workers (on shoes and hands), mice, insects and wild birds from infected barns to healthy birds.
Symptoms of the disease
Lethargy, fluffiness of feathers, lack of inclination to eat, fading of the crest, drooping of the wings, and diarrhea that is sometimes bloody, and this is accompanied by a decrease in the rate of growth and egg production, and the death of approximately 5-10% of the affected birds.
Ways to prevent disease:
1.Keep the mattress dry and replace the wet parts with dry ones.
2. Not to breed different ages of birds in one farm.
3. Providing integrated feeds for reared birds.
4. Take the necessary measures to avoid transmitting the infection through shoes or through mice.
5. Using disinfectants that affect the coccidia parasite, such as caustic soda, in disinfecting barns between different batches of birds.
Post a Comment