Diseases that affect chickens

Hello, dear steemians in this opportunity I bring you a post related to diseases that can affect one of the most farm-raised birds: chickens.

Diseases that affect chickens

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There are many animals that can be raised on a farm, but one of the most frequent are chickens. These, although they do not require intensive care, may have diseases that may affect their development and the economic production of the farmer.

For this reason, I present below some of the diseases and treatments that most affect these birds. Among them we have the following:

Infectious bronchitis:

It is a disease caused by a virus crown and affects both chickens and chickens. It is possible to detect it, because these birds present a noise when breathing, cough, nasal discharge and irritated (watery) eyes. It is a disease that is transmitted by air and can easily affect many chickens or chickens. Although there is no specific cure for this disease, it is possible to generate immunization to these birds with the application of vaccines at birth (Conneticut or Massachusset strains).

Avian cholera:

It is caused by a bacterium called Pasteurella multocida. This can severely reach a large population of birds. The symptoms of this disease occur in three ways or stages: acute, overactive, chronic. In the acute form, this disease can affect the entire body of the bird. They stop drinking and eating, which leads them to lose weight and subsequently to the death of the bird. In some of them, the appearance of paralysis is possible. In the sobreaguda form, the birds can die without having signs of the disease. And in the chronic form, this disease causes inflammations in the area such as the face and chin of chickens. They can turn a deep red color and have a certain fever.

Avian cholera can be transmitted by direct exposure of birds to their physical debris and, in some cases, because some birds may peck at diseased dead birds. The outbreak of the disease can be seen between four and nine days after infection.

The treatment of the same one is based on the application of antibiotics sulfaquinoxalina, enrofloxacin and fosfomycin. However, to control the spread of the disease, it is recommended to clean the entire area and remove dead animals from the place, to prevent birds from eating the meat of dead birds.

Infectious coryza:

This disease is of bacterial origin and is called Haemophilus gallinarus. The bird may have sneezing and foul odor. As the disease progresses, a thick liquid appears that can cause the loss of the eyes in the bird. The transmission of this disease is the product of direct contact. The treatment of this disease consists in the application of antibiotics although it is recommended to breed the new chickens far from the corral where the existence of contagious birds is suspected.

Avian Encephalomyelitis:

The quasal agent of this disease is an enterovirus associated with the picornavirus group. It usually affects birds between the first weeks of life or at the time of laying. The symptoms are instability to walk, lack of coordination and partial or total paralysis of the bird. It is transmitted by infected eggs. Unlike the previous diseases, this does not have a cure, so the dead birds of the place must be discarded.

Gumboru or bursitis:

It is a disease caused by birnavirus. Among its symptoms we can describe the following: respiratory noise, decay, ruffled feathers, tremors, diarrhea, among others. It usually occurs in the first weeks of life of the bird. It is a highly contagious disease and is transmitted by direct contact, by the feces of the same ... in terms of the treatment of the disease, there is no specific cure, but it is recommended to immunize the hens with vaccines so that they immunize her babies.

Avian influenza:

This disease belongs to the family of Orthomyxovridae viruses. Among its symptoms can be detected bristling feathers, lack of appetite, thirst, decrease in egg production, diarrhea. While in mature birds there may be inflammation in the ridges and chin and edema around the eyes. Some studies show that the main cause of transmission of this disease is in migratory birds, because when they move they can contaminate equipment, cartons, eggs ... making it easier to spread.

New Castle:

It is produced by paramyxovirus. Nowadays, thanks to the studies carried out, it is possible to know that there are three types of strains that affect the life of the embryo in different stages, namely the Sota strain (it takes longer to kill the embryo), the B1 strain and Roakin ( the intermediate strain is considered) and the velogenic strain, which is the fastest, can kill the embryo. Among its symptoms we have coughing, gasping and a hoarse prating. In addition to these it is possible for the bird to put its head in the middle of its legs or backwards between its wings and start moving it in a circular way and walking backwards. It is transmitted by infected feces and nasal discharges.

Its treatment is preventive so it is recommended to vaccinate the hens. This vaccination must be done during several stages of life of the bird. It is recommended to start with vaccination of strain B1 four days after birth. Then, at four or twelve weeks, vaccinate with the strain La Sota and from there the bird should be vaccinated every three months. This can be poured into water to facilitate the process when dealing with a very large number of birds.

In short, having knowledge of any of the diseases that affect our birds, could mean a valuable resource for the aviculturist, since this could reduce their losses at an economic level.