Symptoms of mycoplasmosis in chickens and treatment

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Among the diseases of chickens, mycoplasmosis is considered one of the most common ailments. This disease develops even with a slight violation of the conditions of detention. Consider what symptoms are characteristic of this sore and how to treat it.

Symptoms of mycoplasmosis in chickens and treatment

Characteristics of the disease

Respiratory mycoplasmosis is an infectious disease that affects the airways in chickens.

The causative agent is mycoplasma galiseptium, an intermediate form between the virus and the bacterium. After penetration into the respiratory system, it affects the reproductive system and muscle tissues.

Not only adults, but also young individuals at the embryonic stage are subject to infection.

All breeds are susceptible to this disease, but according to statistics, broilers aged from 20 to 45 days are more likely to get sick, because they have low immunity.

Roosters are the first to become infected, so the owner needs to pay attention to their appearance and condition. Signs in cockerels are coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath.

Infection routes

The sore is transmitted by airborne droplets, less often through water and food.

Once in the body, the pathogen settles on the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, and enters the respiratory tract. The peak of development occurs in the autumn, when the weather is stable and damp and cold outside.

The appearance of mycoplasmosis is not affected by the climate of the region. Infection progresses in poorly fed, poorly maintained flocks. First of all, individuals with weak immunity and low resistance to bacteria are infected.

Chicks can be infected from a sick brood hen in the embryo stage or through the respiratory system after hatching.

Often the carriers of the sore are wild birds, as well as domestic chickens that live in the neighborhood. Therefore, the walking area must be protected in order to exclude possible contact with them.

Signs

The incubation period lasts about 3 weeks. At the same time, infected individuals that do not show any signs of infection are carriers of the virus.

In 2-4 weeks, all livestock in a household or industrial economy are exposed to the disease.

The symptoms of mycoplasmosis are different, depending on the stage and degree of progression.

1. At the initial stage of development, the sore is hidden, it is almost impossible to identify it. The pathogen spreads throughout the body, penetrating into muscle tissue and blood.
2. The second phase is accompanied by a slight deterioration in the condition - lethargy, loss of strength, sneezing, inactivity and loss of appetite. Such symptoms appear, as a rule, in 10-12% of infected individuals, the rest are asymptomatic.
3. The third degree of damage passes with characteristic problems - a complete refusal to feed, coughing, irregular breathing, excessive salivation and the appearance of foam from the beak. The bird's body begins to show maximum resistance.Other signs are redness around the eyes, swelling of the eyelids, wheezing, diarrhea with liquid green or yellow droppings.
4. At the fourth stage, the symptoms are dulled, the infected individual becomes an active carrier of the infection.

During the period of dampness, cold and sudden changes in temperature, the symptoms become aggravated.

Signs in hens

In laying hens, others also join the above-described characteristics:

• severe damage to the ocular cornea;
• inflammation of the oviduct;
• decrease in productivity by 15%;
• an increase in the number of unfertilized eggs by 30%;
• the incidence of death of embryos is increasing by 25%.

Causes

Mycoplasmosis in broilers and chickens can occur for several reasons.

1. Dirty drink in the drinking bowl.
2. The presence of dangerous insects in the chicken coop.
3. Poor quality feed through which the virus is transmitted. For each breed, a specific diet is selected to saturate the body with minerals, vitamins and all the components necessary for life. Feeders should be cleaned regularly and food debris removed.
4. Weak immune system.
5. Genetic susceptibility to the pathogen.
6. Stressful situations - moving livestock to another habitat or long-term transportation.
7. Vaccination of young animals with live vaccines.
8. Violation of the temperature and ventilation regime in the chicken coop.
9. Air pollution, the presence of a large amount of dust, ammonia and other harmful and toxic substances.

Diagnosis

It is possible to determine this sore in chickens or adults through proper diagnosis.

The symptoms described above are similar to other diseases of birds - pneumonia, colds, pasteurellosis, hemophilia, colibacillosis and bronchitis.

Only an experienced veterinarian can make an accurate diagnosis, excluding the likelihood of these diseases.

The bird is examined in several ways:

• blood serum is taken to determine the agglutination reaction;
• take mycoplasma secretions for smear using a Petri dish filled with agar;
• analysis of the gene polymer chain reaction, which helps to determine the genetic predisposition of the bird before the moment of infection.

Treatment methods

We treat chickens with antibiotics

Depending on the age of the bird, different treatment options for mycoplasmosis are used.

Chickens

After diagnosis, sick individuals are isolated - placed in a separate room with clean and dry bedding, as well as fresh water and dry food.

Young animals are treated with antibacterial drugs. The drug is administered intramuscularly.

Several remedies have shown the greatest effect:

• Enroflon - 1 ml;
• Tilazine - 0.5 g;
• Tylane - 0.5 g;
• Enroflox - 1m;
• Pharmazin - 1 g;
• Pneumotil - 3 ml.

This dosage is calculated for 1 liter of warm water. The treatment regimen, frequency and amount of drug administration is calculated according to the weight and age of the bird and in accordance with the instructions on the package.

In isolated cases of infection, resettled broilers and chicks of other breeds are treated with one of the drugs - Lilokolin AF, Tilanik, Tilobel or Tialong.

Adults

If the diagnosis is not established, it is necessary to treat an adult bird with one of the broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs - Avimutin hydro, Tetracycline, Eriprim or Tylodoxom.

With blurred symptoms, antiviral and antibacterial agents are used:

• Eriprim - 1 g;
• Macrodox 200 - 1 g;
• Gilodox - 1 g;
• Hydrotriprim - 1 g.

The dosage is calculated per liter of water.

After an accurate diagnosis is made, special drugs are used that treat mycoplasmosis - Tialong, Tylosin or Tylocolin AF. Scheme and frequency of therapy according to the instructions.

At an advanced stage of infection, infected individuals are sent for slaughter, because it is impossible to cure the disease.

Respiratory form

Treatment of the respiratory form in chickens and adults is carried out using narrowly targeted antibiotics - Farmazin, Enroxil, Tilsolom or Tilmikovet.

It is effective to use the following scheme: 1 g of substance per 1 liter of water. All livestock needs to be watered, regardless of their condition and appearance.

Additionally, the sanitation of the indoor air is required in the presence of birds, and the chicken coop is treated with aerosol, disinfectants:

• lactic acid (30% concentration) - 10 ml;
• Monclavite - 3 ml;
• Iodotriethylene glycol - 0.7 ml;
• Ecocide - 0.15 g.

The quantity is calculated for spraying on an area of ​​1 m³.

Folk remedies

No one has yet been able to cure this sore with folk remedies, because alternative medicine is powerless in relation to the pathogen.

Here it is more effective to take measures aimed at increasing immunity:

• soldering with goat milk;
• day-old chickens are given a drink from a glucose solution - 50 g per liter of water;
• at the age of seven days, they begin to solder with a vitamin and mineral complex.

Possible consequences

The defeat of mycoplasmosis primarily negatively affects the general condition and health of the bird.

Without appropriate medical measures in the herd, both egg and meat productivity decreases, since the chickens refuse to drink, feed, and become inactive.

With mass infection, a large percentage of embryos die, infertility increases. The mortality rate ranges from 4 to 10%.

Danger to humans

For humans, this virus is not dangerous, but it is not recommended to eat the meat of a diseased individual, especially at an advanced stage.

At the initial stage of infection, the bird is allowed to slaughter, then the carcass is heat-treated for 1.5 hours. You can eat such a product.

Eggs from sick layers must be disposed of. Also, they should not be used for breeding new offspring, because the risk of infection of young animals is almost 100%.

Preventive actions

By taking simple preventive measures, you can keep your chickens healthy and productive.

1. From infection with mycoplasmosis, birds are given Furacycline at the rate of 0.5 g per kg of body weight, in parallel with the drug Immunobac - three doses per individual. Such funds are administered orally in the morning and in the evening for five days. Preventive measures are carried out three times - in individuals aged 4, 5 and 10 months.
2. Vaccinating chickens from the disease at an early age.
3. Balanced feeding, providing birds with fresh and clean water, regular cleaning of the chicken coop. Changing the litter once a year and burning it.
4. Annual disinfection of the chicken coop with a solution of formalin or sodium hydroxide 2% concentration.
5. Compliance with a stable temperature, humidity and ventilation.
6. Periodic examination of birds for signs of infection and timely quarantine of sick chickens.
7. Prevention of crowding, in which the microclimate in the chicken coop is disturbed and the likelihood of the appearance of various viruses and bacteria is high.