Diseases in Chickens and Their Symptoms

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 1 August 2021
Update Date: 14 December 2024
Anonim
15 most common chicken and poultry DISEASES, their symptoms and how to prevent or treat them
Video: 15 most common chicken and poultry DISEASES, their symptoms and how to prevent or treat them

Content

There are a large number of diseases and parasites that can affect chickens. It is essential to learn to recognize its symptoms in order to promptly detect its onset. You will find that many illnesses will manifest through very similar clinical signs, so it is important to have a specialist veterinarian in order to reach a correct diagnosis. This professional will also be the ideal one to inform you about the best preventive measures.

Find out in this article by PeritoAnimal as Diseases in Chickens and Their Symptoms. You will find out which ones most often affect chicks, adult birds and which can be transmitted to humans and vice versa. Keep reading to discover all this.


How do you know if a chicken is sick?

Before starting, it will be essential to review the symptoms of disease in chickens, so the most common manifestations that indicate that you are facing a possible disease are the following:

  • Anorexia ie the chicken don't eat or drink, although another sign of illness is excessive drinking;
  • release of secretions through the nose and eyes;
  • Breathing making noise;
  • Cough;
  • Absence or decreased egg laying, or eggs with a deformed appearance and a weakened shell;
  • Diarrhea smelly;
  • the sick chicken does not move as usual, becomes lethargic;
  • Skin changes;
  • Bad appearance of the feathers;
  • The chicken does not react to stimuli that should interest her;
  • Hide;
  • slimming;
  • Difficulty standing up.

Finally, a very common situation is to find plucked chickens and ask what disease they are suffering from. Well, this could be due to inadequate feeding, pecking at each other when the chickens live in a community, physiological changes, stress or some illness. That is, the lack of feathers is a symptom, not a disease in itself.


free-range chicken diseases

The first thing we need to know is that the most common diseases of chickens, which we'll look at next, have very similar symptoms, which makes it easy to confuse them. That's why it's important to have the help and diagnosis of a specialist. Furthermore, these diseases are usually very contagious, so it is advisable to isolate chickens that look suspicious.

Therefore, in diseases of free-range or farm chickens, it is essential prevent before curing, and prevention can be carried out with good care, adequate accommodation and a balanced diet. In the following sections, we review diseases in chickens and their symptoms.


Chick diseases

Below, we'll mention some of the diseases that most commonly affect chicks:

Marek's Disease

Before reviewing chicken diseases and their symptoms, let's look at chick diseases, as there are some diseases that are more common during this phase, such as chick disease. Marek's disease, which groups together several very contagious viral diseases that cause tumors and paralysis. There is a vaccine, but it is not always effective, therefore, it is considered that the best prevention is good hygiene and adequate living conditions. This disease is untreated, but little ones can survive if they keep eating and if we maintain, as much as possible, their immune system.

coccidiosis

THE coccidiosis is the leading cause of chick death. Is parasitic disease very contagious of the digestive tract, which makes the stools present blood. Another disorder involving the digestive system is obstruction, which can prevent the bird from defecating. Occurs due to stress, temperature changes, incorrect handling, etc. In these cases, it is necessary to readjust the diet and clean the cloaca.

Chicks can also have torticollis, so they are unable to hold their head up. Furthermore, will walk backwards. This can be due to a deficiency of vitamin B, which must be increased in the diet. It is necessary to watch if the chick is managing to eat so that it is not trampled on by others, if it lives in a community.

hereditary diseases

You may also notice chicken diseases that affect the beak. These are deformities that appear to be genetic and worsen with growth. They can result in difficulties in feeding, so it is necessary to ensure that the animal can eat, offer soft foods, raise the feeder, etc. Changes can also appear in the legs. For example, they can slide to the sides, so that the bird can't walk or stand. This can be due to errors in incubator temperature or a vitamin deficit. A non-slip floor and a bandage to keep the legs together are part of the treatment.

Respiratory diseases

Finally, other diseases of chicks that stand out are respiratory problems, which the chicks suffer from. are very susceptible, and may manifest a picture of greater or lesser severity. Runny eyes and nose, coughing and sneezing are the most common symptoms of these conditions. It is essential to maintain hygiene.

Remember that chicks are more delicate, which means that illnesses can be more severe. For example, mites can even kill a chick due to the anemia they cause.

Eye Diseases in Chickens

the eyes of the chickens can stay angry and inflamed when they live in the middle of high ammonia levels. This can also affect the sinuses and trachea and, if the situation is not resolved, the bird may go blind. Ammonia comes from the union of uric acid in bird manure with water, which forms an environment conducive to bacterial growth, which produces ammonia.

Marek's disease can also affect the eyes if the tumors develop in the iris. Other diseases, such as yaws also have repercussions at the ocular level when lesions occur near the eyes. Bacterial or fungal infections are also responsible for conjunctivitis, as well as nutritional deficiencies. Also, in the following sections, we will see that many chicken diseases include eye symptoms.

Avian yaws

Among the diseases of chickens that affect the legs, yaws stands out. This disease of chickens and its symptoms are common and are characterized by blisters on the dewlaps, legs or even all over the body. These bubbles form crusts that eventually fall off. Infrequently, it can also affect the mouth and throat, impairing breathing and even causing the bird's death. There is a vaccine for yaws.

Mites in chickens: dermanyssus gallinae and others

External parasites such as bird mites, can go unnoticed and cause considerable damage, such as decreased egg laying, growth slowdown, anemia, weakened immune system, emaciation, feathers dirty from parasite excrement and even death. This is because chicken mites feed on blood.

Also, as some may live in the environment, treatment must also include that environment. It is one of the diseases of roosters that can affect their ability to mate, because the mites tend to cluster around the genital area. They are treated with acaricides found in different presentations after the diagnosis of the mite. They can be avoided by maintaining proper hygiene.

Types of mites that affect chickens

The most common mites are the red mites, of the species Dermanyssus galinae. Symptoms of this chicken disease are more important in hot climates. the mites Knemidocopts mutans can also appear on the legs of these birds. They thicken the skin, make it peel, form crusts, can form exudates and red spots. Also, the legs may look deformed. This mite spreads by direct contact and is more common in older birds. There are several treatments. Legs can be damaged.

Visceral gout or avian urolithiasis

The parasitosis we mentioned in the previous section is sometimes confused with another leg disease, a type of arthritis called drop, caused by severe kidney failure. It is produced by the accumulation of urates in the joints, which causes inflammation of the joints in the hocks and feet and causes a limp that makes movement difficult. It usually affects both legs.

These accumulations deform the limb and cause wounds to appear., symptoms that can make gout be confused with a disease caused by mites. It can be due to a genetic problem or a diet with too much protein. It is most common in cocks and from four months of age onwards. There is no cure, but it is possible to improve the bird's conditions to make its life more comfortable, encourage it to drink more water, modify the diet to include fruits and vegetables, etc.

lice on chickens

Infestations by external parasites can be part of diseases in chickens with symptoms that are difficult to detect, but they can be responsible for a decrease in egg laying, affect growth, cause malnutrition and even death. The affected animal loses weight, scratches and pecks the skin and has several areas with loss of color. These parasites can be avoided by regularly checking the hen's body for them. Lice, unlike mites, can only live on the host. They are less resistant to treatments than mites.

Infectious Bronchitis

Among the diseases of chickens, the symptoms of infectious bronchitis are relatively common. It can be mild but in other cases it is severe. the affected chickens stop eating and drinking, present nasal and ocular secretions, cough, wheeze and, in general, have difficulty breathing. Also, the chickens stop laying eggs or lay deformed eggs. This is a disease for which there is a vaccine, although it does not prevent infection. is treated with antibiotics and the bird must be kept in a warm environment.

Newcastle Disease

Newcastle disease is a viral disease that triggers respiratory and nervous symptoms and it can present with different levels of severity and symptoms such as sudden death, sneezing, respiratory problems, runny nose, cough, greenish and watery diarrhea, lethargy, tremors, stiff neck, walking in circles, stiffness or swelling of the eyes and neck. This disease of chickens is very contagious, as are its symptoms, so it is best to invest in prevention. There is a vaccine for Newcastle disease.

cholera avia

It is a disease triggered by the bacteria Pastereulla multocida and it can present itself acutely or chronically. In the first case, it can mean the sudden death of the bird. Vascular damage, pneumonia, anorexia, nasal discharge, bluish discoloration and diarrhea occur. This chicken disease and its symptoms mainly affect older or growing individuals.

On the other hand, the chronic presentation is characterized by the appearance of inflammations in which the skin can become gangrenous. Neurological symptoms such as torticollis may also be seen. There are vaccines available for this disease. Treatment is based on the administration of antibiotics.

Avian influenza or avian influenza

This chicken disease and its symptoms can cause death in a matter of days. The clinical picture is similar to flu. It is transmitted between birds of different species by contact with infected mucous membranes and feces, and can also be transported through insects, rodents or our clothes.

Symptoms include sudden death, purple in the legs and ridges, soft shelled or deformed eggs. Also, chickens with flu put less or stop putting on, lose appetite, become lethargic, produce mucous stools, present coughing, discharge from the eyes and nose, sneezing, and unsteady gait. Treatment consists of strengthening the bird's immune system with a good diet, as this is a viral disease.

Infectious coryza

Another among the diseases in chicken is the infectious runny nose, also called a cold or croup. Symptoms are swelling of the face, nasal discharge, eye, sneezing, coughing, breathing difficulties with hisses and snores, anorexia, change in the color of the ridges or absence of egg laying. This disease of chickens and its symptoms can be treated with antibiotics, as it is a disease of bacterial origin, but it is not always possible to cure it.

Infectious sinusitis in chickens

Also called mycoplasmosis, this chicken disease and its symptoms affect all poultry. It is characterized by sneezing, nasal and sometimes ocular discharge, coughing, respiratory problems, and swelling in the eyes and sinuses. It is treated with antibiotics as it is a bacterial disease.

Diseases transmitted by chickens to humans

Some chicken diseases and their symptoms can be transmitted to humans and vice versa through contact with faeces, by air or, if applicable, by ingestion. we are talking about zoonotic diseases. The famous bird flu rarely infects people, but it is true that it can. These will be people who have been in contact with birds, with contaminated surfaces or who have eaten undercooked meat or eggs. The illness can be mild or severe, and has flu-like symptoms. Women are at greater risk pregnant, elderly or people with a compromised immune system.

Newcastle disease can also affect humans, causing a mild conjunctivitis. In addition, salmonellosis, a bacterial disease, can be acquired by consuming contaminated eggs. It causes gastroenteritis. There are other bacteria, such as Pastereulla multocida, which can cause skin lesions in people who are pecked or scratched by birds. There are also other diseases that birds can transmit, but their incidence is low. In any case, it is advisable maintain hygiene and, if the chickens show symptoms of illness or if you suffer from any condition with no other apparent cause, it is necessary find a veterinarian, that is, the health professional of these animals.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Diseases in Chickens and Their Symptoms, we recommend that you enter our Other health problems section.