Why chickens can die
The question of why chickens are dying worries not only a novice farmer, but also an experienced poultry breeder, who provides his birds with the necessary and high-quality maintenance and feeding. It would seem how a bird that does not need anything and does not look sick can die? It turns out that many factors can affect the death rate.
Why do chickens die
What is the reason for the death of chickens?
To determine the impending death of chickens, it is necessary to closely monitor their behavior and activity. Often, no visible symptom indicates danger. The main distinguishing feature may be reduced bird activity or loss of appetite. However, sometimes such signs can indicate a minor illness or a state of stress in which the chickens are. If, together with the listed symptoms, the crest begins to darken sharply, and the weight of the bird decreases to a minimum mark, most likely it will not be possible to stop the death.
Sometimes the cause of death lies in insufficient attention to adults, while pullets receive better nutrition and quality care. A dangerous infectious disease can easily affect both chickens and layers. Despite the fact that adult chickens die from the disease much less often, one should not neglect competent care and the choice of good food.
Pathology
The disease that can affect birds is not always directly related to the farmer and the conditions provided to them. There are times when the disease catches the economy and the birds by surprise. The most famous and dangerous diseases that affect both layers and young stock are the following:
- ascariasis;
- abdominal dropsy;
- lack of vitamins;
- bronchopneumonia;
- Newcastle disease.
Ascariasis
This is one of the most serious diseases among birds. The danger lies in the parasites that live in the intestines of chickens and parasites in the internal organs. The worm can reach a length of 12 cm. Roundworms enter the body through food and liquid and have a sufficiently high fertility, as a result of which a single infection develops into a similar disease of the entire brood.
Worms can not only lead to anemia, spreading toxins throughout the body, but also affect the nervous system of the bird. After this, blockage or, most dangerous, rupture of internal organs may be observed. You can watch the video about the main danger of worms, and only a doctor can find methods of getting rid of parasites.
Abdominal dropsy
Dropsy is a noncommunicable disease and can affect birds of any age. Untimely treatment leads to a violation of the water-salt balance, stagnation of venous blood and the accumulation of excess abundant fluid in the belly. Sometimes the dropsy is affected by heart or kidney failure. In order to detect an ailment, a thorough examination is not needed: sick chickens quite sharply and clearly lose activity.
For the treatment of abdominal dropsy, it is necessary to pump out all excess fluid from the abdominal cavity, and then reconsider what the bird feeds, adding more greens and vitamins to the diet.
Lack of vitamins
Many farmers forget how important it is for all chickens to receive the right amount of vitamins and minerals to develop the immune system and protect the body. Having received a certain amount of vital substances, birds, and in particular layers in cages, are exposed to other serious illnesses.
To understand that it is vitamin deficiency that worries a bird, attention should be paid to the defining signs: birds lose weight, weaken, lose their plumage. If you do not get rid of the deviations in time, more serious consequences will arise. To eliminate vitamin deficiency at the first stage, it is enough to diversify the diet with grass, cereals and other vitamins.
Bronchopneumonia
The reason for its occurrence lies in severe hypothermia. At first glance, it may seem that in this case there is no mortal risk, however, without taking appropriate measures in time, it is possible to lead to the death of not only several representatives, but also the whole brood. To determine the disease, you need to follow the changes in the life of birds. Laying hens begin to sneeze, difficulty breathing, wheezing and coughing. As the disease develops, the bird loses its appetite and becomes lethargic, is in a state of constant fatigue.
To get rid of pneumonia, you will need to take a course antibioticsthat the doctor will prescribe.
Newcastle disease
Perhaps the main ailment due to which laying hens and young chickens die. The disease is dangerous due to harm to the digestive tract, respiratory and nervous system. Pseudo-plague, as the disease is sometimes called, leads to death in 100% of cases. Chickens can catch it through the consumption of contaminated food, water, or through the droppings of other birds. The danger is that the pseudo-plague is easily transmitted among the entire livestock.
A chicken with an ailment stands out among others with obvious signs. So, in a feathered bird, the temperature rises, mucus appears from the nose and mouth, coordination of movements may be disturbed (for example, a sudden unnatural movement of the head and turning it to the sides). The crest predominantly turns blue and there is a violation in the swallowing reflexes. Unfortunately, no drugs or techniques are able to eliminate the disease, therefore, if the listed symptoms are found in one chicken, it is necessary to immediately remove it from the livestock, so that after 2-3 days it does not die along with the carrier. Often all livestock are sent for slaughter.
Other ailments
Chicken diseases are diverse, and therefore it is almost impossible to describe each of them. Among others, gastroenteritis and coccidiosis, with the manifestation of which urgent measures are needed to protect the birds from further complications and death. Having identified an ailment in one individual, there is a chance to save the livestock from general death.
How to diagnose the problem
Regardless of what reason lies in the death of birds, it is important to detect it in time and go for a consultation with a veterinarian. The best option that can prevent mass death is considered to be a veterinary examination of birds when even the smallest and insignificant, on the one hand, symptoms are detected. It is worth observing that hens may not sleep well, eat, move unusually and limp. Sometimes problems may not indicate a fatal illness, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.
What will the veterinarian do during the examination? Often, the doctor only needs to analyze the feces to determine what is the real reason for the deterioration of the chickens' condition. The main disadvantage of veterinary services is their cost, but the death of the entire livestock will bring much more loss than a one-time home visit.An important advantage of a veterinary examination is that only with the help of a specialist it is possible to determine the presence of serious infectious diseases that are at the developmental stage. It is not difficult to independently notice how the crest or the behavior of birds has changed, but only a professional can tell about what to do next.
After the diagnosis is made, it is important to follow all the doctor's recommendations, not depriving the attention of either young or adult chickens. Sometimes the most insignificant symptoms are sometimes harbingers of serious trouble, so there is no need to hesitate. How healthy birds behave can be seen in any video. This will help to notice the main differences in the behavior of diseased individuals.
All About Disease Prevention
How to prevent the occurrence of certain ailments? The reason often lies in the farmer's dismissive treatment of his "wards". So, in order for the chickens to be protected from serious misfortunes, it is necessary to perform a number of simple actions.
- Disinfect the chicken coop before launching young animals and adults into it. To do this, you need to conduct a general cleaning of the room and whitewash the walls.
- Provide the chicken coop with an optimal temperature, which should not be lower than 29 ° C for chicks, in summer you can lower it to 23 °. Adult broilers should be protected from drafts and weather changes.
- Provide broilers from the first days of life vitamins, repeating the reception after 20 days.
- Carry out regular walking in spring and summer so that the birds can get enough greenery and fresh air.
- Saturate the chicks' feed fish oil, in order to prevent the appearance of rickets.
- Diversify the diet: you cannot feed the birds only with compound feed, as this will lead to a deterioration in health. It is dangerous to consume compound feed for more than 2 weeks.
- Monitor the amount of boiled potatoes consumed, because an abundant amount of it only provokes negative consequences and even death. The same applies to grain, especially low-quality and previously unknown.
- Provide birds with sufficient lighting and 12-14 hour daylight hours. Lack of light leads to baldness.
As it turns out, poultry is a tasty morsel for many serious ailments and infections. To diagnose many of them, it is enough to trace changes in behavior, examine the ridge and identify changes in nutrition. The most frivolous symptoms sometimes lead to a very sad outcome, therefore, the health of not only one individual, but also the entire livestock depends on the farmer's care. If it became obvious that the birds are sick, it is urgent to determine from what your chickens are dying and to fight the problem, because the consequences of inaction can be fatal for the entire economy.