As responsible Poultry owners, as soon as we
suspect problems with our flocks, we should investigate our birds thoroughly.
Obvious disease signs and symptoms can be identified at home easily, while others may require you to take specimens to your Vet for laboratory assistance to get you a proper diagnosis. Obvious signs are miscolored or misshapen droppings, droopy,or unproductive birds.
Disease symptoms
Know your birds! Make it easy to recognize
disease early. Be sure to read Signs Of Health.
Set aside a certain period each day to observe
the flock. Look for unhealthy birds. Note the birds' actions and how they are eating and drinking.
Listen for any unusual sounds — sneezing or
rattling. The spread of the disease and the cost
of treatment may be reduced if the disease is recognized early.
Keeping a small diary or flock records can aid in recognizing a disease in its early stages. A slump
in feed and/or water consumption is usually the
best early indicator. Keep daily feed and water consumption, egg production and mortality
records. Major changes in these flock records
from day to day, or over a period of time, may
indicate that a disease is present in the flocks.
As a General Rule
Having certain "rules of thumb" are helpful in
evaluating the importance of a developing
disease problem. For example, if you notice more
than 1 percent of the flock sick at any one time, disease is probably present that needs immediate attention. To make it easier to see increased illness in the flock, remove obvious sick birds to isolation as soon as they show evidence of being severly sick. Isolation of the sickest birds could make the difference in your whole flock getting sick or a portion of it.
You can expect a mortality of about 2 percent
in baby chicks and 3 percent in turkey poults during the first three weeks of age. If losses are greater than this, there may be cause for alarm.
The so-called normal mortality after three weeks
of age should not exceed 1 percent per month.
A slight rise in mortality can be anticipated as
adult flocks come into egg production.
Once you have diagnosed your sickness and
set about your treatment plan, it is important to
follow through. Keep an eye on your birds and finish
all medications until all those affected have become well. Also, after an onset of illness that has affected a major portion of your flock, it is advisable to have a course of sanitation for all housing and equipment.
Just treating the birds and the sickness, and then putting the birds right back into their pens that still have active bacteria in the form of droppings, etc., is like asking for them to become ill once again.
Sanitize, wash and clean everything that they touch. Also, it is responsible of the owners to treat the ground by liming areas that have been heavily laden with feces. Liming breaks down the feces, and puts nutrients into the ground.
Once all of these factors are in place, your flock
can be re-established on a healthy basis.
For Educational Purposes
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
