Diseases do not spare anyone, any animal can get sick and die, not paying attention to the obvious symptoms in time will not necessarily mean the right help. Domestic chickens often die from it, that the owners did not pay attention to certain symptoms and did not help cure the disease. Example, diarrhea in chickens - a phenomenon, which is quite difficult to notice immediately. Therefore, household utensils should be treated with care. This article will discuss the most common diseases of chickens, their symptoms and proposed treatment options.
The main diseases of laying hens
Everyone needs to know about possible diseases of chickens, who breeds them or keeps them for eggs. The main cause of the disease is improper keeping or feeding of chickens.
Veterinarians divide all diseases of chickens into several groups:
- infectious;
- non-infectious;
- internal parasites;
- external parasites.
Infectious diseases
colibacillosis
This disease is not limited to adult laying hens, but also young animals. The main symptoms: apathy, thirst and heat. The infection affects the respiratory tract, so taking the chicken in hand, you will clearly hear rales. And when moving, they will only get worse. Characteristic wheezing is clearly observed in young chickens, but in the old - this can not always be observed. Here the help of the expert will be necessary.
If the diagnosis is made, it is necessary to proceed immediately to treatment. It is enough to give penicillin. As noted by veterinarians, a small overdose of these drugs contributes to the development of immunity to the disease.
pasteurellosis
This disease takes the lives of chickens 2-3 months. But most adult birds die from it. Symptoms of the disease: apathy, heat, thirst, the chicken hardly moves, and mucous fluid flows from the nostrils, diarrhea, the chicken is constantly scratching and lifting its feathers. The comb and earrings in this chicken will darken and acquire a bluish tinge. If you do not treat this infection immediately, then the mortality of the entire population is guaranteed.
This infection can be treated only in the first stage. They are given tetracycline 1-2% water solution. Some veterinarians recommend the use of norsulfazole solution. These drugs are added to the feed by 0,5 m at a time.
salmonellosis
This disease is more pronounced in young chickens, but there are cases of defeat and the adult. Characteristic symptoms become: lameness on one leg, conjunctivitis, increased tearing, breathing problems. When the bird can not be saved, then she just falls sideways or back and dies. Diseases of the feet in chickens - a common phenomenon, so you need to watch them very closely.
If this happens to you, then immediately begin treatment of the remaining chickens. They can be given chloramphenicol antibiotics, chlortetracycline or sulfonamides. Small doses of drugs are added to feed and given to chickens at least 10 days.
Newcastle disease
This disease does not choose between a young or old bird. The disease progresses very quickly, often the death of a bird is simply stated. The sick bird is constantly asleep, she eats nothing and she has a fever, liquid will come out of the beak, from which it stinks. The chicken breathes with difficulty, since the mouth is full of this mucus, beak constantly open. The breathing of this bird is accompanied by croaking sounds. Before death, the bird has a blue comb and earrings.
So far, veterinarians have not developed methods for treating this disease. Their only advice is to destroy all available poultry. But, if you take a risk and the chicken survives, then she will get immunity, but the offspring will be constantly exposed to this disease.
smallpox
This disease mainly affects young chickens. Specific smallpox growths appear on the bird's skin. Most often they are focused on the head or cloaca and if you do not start treatment in time, then the growths increase, combine with each other. In the early stages of the tumor are yellow, but over time they become dark brown.
After a few weeks, these pimples begin to bleed, hardens and falls off. Further, such formations appear in the mouth of the animal, the bird stops eating, she has difficulty breathing.
To avoid hardening by smallpox, the affected areas should be treated with any fat or glycerin. If you notice in the late stages and the disease has affected the oral cavity, it is necessary to pour a small amount into the beak 1% iodine. You can wash with a decoction of chamomile. Such a bird must have constant access to water.
typhus
This disease occurs in 70% adult birds. The main symptoms: apathy, decreased or complete lack of appetite. The chicken drinks a lot of water.
This infection is treated only with antibiotics, they are diluted with water and administered intramuscularly.
tuberculosis
This infectious disease affects not only people, but also chickens. Not only the lungs are affected, but also all internal organs. The cause of the disease is unsanitary conditions in the chicken coop. The main symptoms of the disease are: sharp cattle, pallor of the crest and earrings. This disease is incurable. Infected chickens must be destroyed, and in the chicken coop to clean and disinfect everything.
non-communicable diseases
goiter atony
This disease is unique to laying hens. It is caused by an unbalanced or untimely diet. If the owners feed the chickens with low quality warehouses, then they can accumulate in the goiter and form an obstruction. It is easy to diagnose this disease, enough to try to touch the chicken goiter, if it is hard and sags for a long time, then the chicken got sick. The death of a chicken occurs suddenly and instantly, goiter blocks the airways and jugular vein.
This disease is easy to treat. It is enough to drip a few milliliters of vegetable oil through the probe into the goiter. Further, a light massage of the hardened goiter is performed and the chicken is turned upside down, slowly remove all content. Veterinarians recommend pouring a solution of potassium permanganate into the goiter after this procedure.
gastroenteritis
Chickens can get sick at any age. Poor nutrition causes digestive problems, diarrhea occurs, weakness.
In view of the, that these symptoms may be the cause of an infectious disease, it is better to invite a veterinarian for an examination. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then it is enough to feed the chicken a balanced diet for a few days.
cloacite
The cause of the disease can also be poor nutrition or violation of the norms of keeping chickens. But here the sewer is inflamed. There were cases, that the cause of the disease may be problems with egg production.
Manganese lavage is used as a treatment, pre-cleaning of manure, and then - lubricate this place with Vaseline, anesthesia and teramycin. To avoid this disease, experts recommend introducing natural greens into the feed, carrots or roots.
keratoconjunctivitis
This disease affects chickens, contained in barns, where manure is poorly removed or very rarely cleaned. Ammonia vapors are released into the air from fresh manure, which are the cause of inflammatory processes in the eyes and bronchial tract. The main symptoms are: tears in his eyes, dirty and wet feathers, yellow masses may gather over the centuries.
For treatment it is necessary to clean the barn well from chicken manure and ventilate it well. Rinse eyes with chamomile decoction.
avitaminosis
This disease is more common in laying hens, contained in cells. They do not eat natural foods, only mixtures. Conjunctivitis may occur, minimum body weight, weakness, pen loss.
For treatment, it is necessary to balance the diet and introduce natural herbs into the diet.
Sharp objects in the stomach
Chicken is an unpredictable bird, especially if she has the will. Chickens bite any objects. Therefore, very often the cause of death is the presence of a sharp object in the stomach, which breaks it.
It can also happen with goiter, rough pieces of grass, small bones can form a goiter obstruction, which will cause death.
The hen cannot lay an egg
Such situations are common in young laying hens. She starts fussing over the chicken coop, its crest becomes bright red. It is necessary to help such a smoker or she will die. It is enough to do the following:
- heat a bucket of hot water and hold it over steam for about half an hour, then lubricate the passage with Vaseline;
- if the chicken egg is too large and stuck in the cloaca during demolition, then it can be pierced with a syringe, remove the liquid and slightly pressed the shell, carefully remove from the aisle;
- if the egg began to come across, then the chicken is placed on its back and any oil or Vaseline is injected with a syringe, and then gently push the egg out.
Eggs without shell
It is more of an infectious disease, caused by parasites. Symptoms: apathy, systematic laying of eggs without shells, the chicken hardly moves, movement coordination is disturbed. Such diseases of laying hens are quite common.
Carbon tetrachloride is used for treatment 5 mg per animal.
Ovaritis
The cause of the disease is a blow or a sharp fall from a height. Yolks, which originated inside, may develop and begin to rot. The obvious signs will be irregularly shaped eggs, two egg yolks in one shell, thin shell. Such a bird often dies.
frostbite of the extremities
In winter, with severe frosts often ridges, the chicken's legs freeze and these parts eventually die. At the first symptoms of frostbite of chicken legs, it is necessary to rub these areas with snow and lubricate with iodine.
As a prevention of frostbite of chicken legs, may be rubbing open areas of chicken with animal fat.
internal parasites
These are worms, which are inside the chicken, provoking diarrhea. They live in the small intestine and its processes. The length of such a parasite can reach 11-15 centimeters. The main symptoms are loss of appetite and diarrhea.
This disease is treated with the drug Flubenvet. Its enough 3g. on 1 kilogram of feed. Course of treatment - 7 days. If diarrhea does not pass, you should immediately consult a specialist.
external parasites
The main parasites for chickens are ticks, lice and downy mildew. It is these parasites that affect the number of eggs in laying hens and can even cause death.
Bedbugs or chicken lice
These parasites live not only on the skin of birds, but also in the chicken coop, perches and nests. They feed on chicken blood and do not give it rest day or night.
To get rid of them, it is necessary to regularly treat the chicken coop with chlorophos solutions and carbophos emulsion. During processing, chickens should not be indoors and after - close 2-3 hours.
Be sure to change the seats and straw in place, where they lay eggs.
Control of downy mildew
The diet of this parasite includes down and feathers of birds. Such insects live only on chicken skin. The bird experiences constant itching. If you look closely at the skin of the animal, then the parasites can be seen with the naked eye.
Ordinary wood ash is used for struggle. Chickens bathe in it, and the parasites disappear.
Ringworm
This disease affects a large number of adult birds. If you do not provide timely assistance, then the disease only progresses. Symptoms: difficulty breathing, white and yellow spots on the crest. This disease is incurable. Such birds are killed.
aspergillosis
It is a disease of the respiratory system. Symptoms: the bird sneezes, blue beak. Treatment with copper sulfate only, which is introduced into the diet.
Preventive measures to prevent the disease
If you do not want to lose a bird, then periodically perform such preventive measures:
- Do not use young and adult birds, it can cause the death of both;
- if the bird is sick, urgently discard it in a separate room;
- if the chicken is not treatable, it must be destroyed and burned;
- be sure to treat the chicken coop with disinfectants at least 1 once a month.
Provide chickens with proper care and a balanced diet and most of the diseases listed above will not bother your bird. Chicken diseases and their treatment are the most important topics for those, who breeds these birds.