How to treat goslings that fall to their feet
The emergence and maturation of a brood is an unforgettable period for every farmer. However, it can be diluted with notes of sadness in the event that birds die. How to keep the livestock? What if the goslings fall to their feet and die? How to treat the remaining offspring to avoid mass death?
Goslings fall to their feet and die
Causes of death of goslings
Weekly goslings are still immature birds that are quite sensitive to temperature fluctuations and have weak immunity. It is no secret that viruses and bacteria that infect individual individuals can easily mow down an entire livestock of young animals. As a rule, the first symptoms indicating a deterioration in the bird's condition are problems with the legs and the entire skeletal system. If you notice that the gosling's legs have failed, then you need to immediately take him to the veterinarian.
The causes of these symptoms are known to many farmers (these are standard diseases found in adults):
- Infectious (characterized by a rapid spread, a sharp deterioration in the condition of not only a single individual, but also the entire livestock). With timely treatment, under the strict guidance of a veterinarian, strong chicks rise to their feet, weakened ones die or remain crippled.
- Helminthiasis (worms cause serious damage to the health of immature goslings). The development of such a disease is provoked by poor-quality food, water and non-compliance with hygiene requirements on the part of the farmer. This disease is characterized by a high mortality rate.
- Salmonellosis and other viral diseases (if you notice that small legs are not able to withstand the weight of the chick, you need to urgently remove it from peers in order to prevent the development of an epidemic). Symptoms: loss of appetite, weakness, legs disperse, convulsions are observed. If no treatment is performed, then the goslings die.
- Avitaminosis (the body needs one or another trace element). Such a disease can be suspected by the behavior of goslings (their legs are moving apart, therefore, the bird often sits down). If the body lacks vitamin D, then there is an abnormal formation of the skeleton with a lack of elements of group B - paralysis of the legs, wings and curvature of the sternum can become noticeable. With the establishment of nutrition, the young stand on their feet and continue to live.
- Rickets (a rather serious damage to the skeletal system, at the initial stage of which the legs of the goslings disperse, at the later stage the broilers die).
- Lesions by various fungi (most often it is Candidiasis, which is quite easily treated at home).
It is easy to guess that broilers are susceptible to diseases in the spring, when there are not enough useful micronutrients in the food consumed.
The reason that the goslings cannot stand is often not a disease, but an injury or violation of the conditions of detention.For example, with hypothermia in young animals, the ligaments are affected, the calcaneal region swells, as a result, the individual cannot walk, lags behind in development from its peers (this becomes noticeable no earlier than a month after the defeat).
If a goose dies, it means that the farmer must sound the alarm, put the weakened individual in a separate enclosure, exclude contact with the rest of the livestock, record the symptoms, call the veterinarian and proceed with the recommendations received from the specialist. It is important to understand that at this time you need to closely monitor all the geese, trying to identify new victims in order to exclude mass death.
How to treat sick goslings
Having figured out why the goslings fall to their feet, it remains to get acquainted with the treatment of a particular disease.
If the geese fall to their feet, refuse to eat, look lethargic, and you suspect or the veterinarian has diagnosed Salmonellosis, then you need to urgently start taking antibiotics prescribed by the veterinarian. Timely treatment and proper care can save the lives of the young.
If the cause of weakness is a viral infection or enteritis affecting the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory organs, as a result of which small individuals die exponentially, treatment should begin with complete disinfection of the poultry house, resettlement of healthy individuals. Unfortunately, with such a disease, it is quite difficult to cure young animals, because their vital organs are denied.
Only young individuals whose age does not exceed a month or two can be ill with candidiasis (adult geese are only carriers of pathogenic microflora). Treatment consists in jigging goslings (not only those that are sick), disinfecting the room, improving nutrition, using drugs prescribed by a veterinarian. Delaying contact with adults will help keep healthy young goslings alive.
Sadly to say, renal candidiasis, like enteritis, is a disease with a high mortality rate.
Another case is vitamin deficiency, in which the cause of the sluggish state of animals is clear - a lack of vitamins or trace elements. Treatment of the disease consists in normalizing nutrition (providing high-quality, complete feed). At the same time, there is no point in leaving the bird alone (all the young will have to be restored).
Advice: it is advisable to treat all birds by adding a medicine to the feed or by instilling a certain set of agents in each of the throats.
Preventive actions
“Forewarned is forearmed” is the motto that saves lives of many representatives of the fauna of the planet Earth. Consequently, having figured out why the goslings are dying, it remains only to take preventive measures to avoid the development of epidemics that can mow down the whole livestock. Here they are:
- Following the rules for caring for goslings (properly equip the poultry house, avoid drafts and dampness, etc.).
- Keeping the house clean (removing faeces, treating walls with disinfectants, washing feeders and drinking bowls).
- Timely replacement of water and feed.
- Providing quality, fresh feed and clean water.
- Compulsory bird walking.
- The goose fell or sat down, what should I do? It is urgent to raise the fallen ones, separate them from the rest of the birds in order to exclude the spread of diseases by airborne droplets (through nutrient media).
- Timely vaccination of not only young animals, but also adults (goslings can be vaccinated at the end of the first month of life, and adult birds - 1.5 months before the expected date of egg laying).
- Select food depending on the season (the prevailing vitamin is different).
- Constant observation of birds, allowing timely recognition of the symptoms of developing diseases (falling, which means they are weak).
Perhaps these are all recommendations, following which you will not encounter the fact that the goslings fall to their feet and die.
Experienced Farmer Tips
People who have raised more than one generation of healthy birds rarely reveal secrets and talk about the peculiarities of keeping a large number of individuals. Here are some tips that even budding farmers can follow:
- Add biovit to your feed to reduce the likelihood of developing gastrointestinal diseases. Allowed for goslings over two weeks of age.
- To reduce the likelihood of catching diseases such as salmonellosis, enteritis and candidiasis, the addition of paraform (after 21 days of life) and sodium selenite (from 10 to 40 days of age) will help.
- Ventilate the chicken coop during bird walks. Consider ventilation if this is not possible.
- If the goslings get sick often, disinfect the house urgently, change the feed and conditions for keeping the birds.
What can you not do for the sake of preserving life. Observe the above recommendations, carefully monitor the pets, if you find changes in the condition of the young, urgently call the veterinarian. Only then can you enjoy a healthy herd that meets your needs. Now you know all the possible causes of goslings falling to their feet.