What to do if a chicken has a clogged goiter

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Anyone who is involved in poultry should know what to do if a chicken has a goiter, as this happens quite often. The fact is that when keeping chickens, few people think about the quality of feed, feeding the poultry waste. Such food is more suitable for pigs than for poultry. It is because of improper nutrition in winged animals that a blockage of the goiter can develop. This article tells in more detail about this problem: what to do if the goiter is swollen, because of what it swells, what diseases this indicates and how to treat them.

The chicken has a clogged goiter

Why does a chicken get clogged goiter?

The goiter is a digestive organ whose function is to soften all food taken before it is digested in the stomach. If the function of the goiter is not fully fulfilled, the entire cycle of food digestion is disrupted, the bird does not receive nutrients and starves. This condition should not be underestimated, since obstruction, blockage of the goiter in chickens and the condition when it swells often become the direct cause of death of chickens and even small chickens. On videos or photos posted on the Internet by experienced poultry farmers, you can see how sick chickens with an enlarged goiter look like.

A clogged goiter can not only be the result of improper or excessive nutrition. This painful condition can be caused by diseases such as:

• inflammation in the goiter;
• organ injury;
• fungal disease;
• pathology of the structure of the organ (most often found in broilers).

It is worth considering in more detail each of the reasons in order to know how to help the laying hen.

The inflammatory process in the goiter

Inflammation of the goiter is not uncommon. Usually, the development of the inflammatory process is caused by the introduction of fungi, pathogenic bacteria or parasites... A lack of vitamin A in the daily diet of chickens may accompany the development of the disease. Due to the fact that poultry does not receive this group of vitamins, the mucous membrane with which the goiter is lined changes its appearance, becomes loose, thereby creating an ideal environment for the reproduction of bacteria.

If the cause of the inflammation is a fungus called Candida, the disease is not contagious, there is no need to quarantine the bird.

The symptoms of candidiasis in chicken are:

• deterioration of the general condition;
• deterioration in appetite, even water is indifferent to the chicken;
• a sharp decrease in the indicator egg production;
• avoidance of physical activity by the hen; she most often lies.

If you find one or more of these signs, you should immediately examine the bird's crop. Most likely the goiter is hard, swollen, and the smell from the beak is sharply unpleasant and putrid. In addition, you can see that the chicken has lost weight, the quality of its plumage has decreased: it has become rare and disheveled.Do not underestimate this condition - goiter candidiasis requires urgent treatment.

Treatment

A clogged goiter can be cured not only with surgery. If you notice a deviation in the condition of the bird, then you can help yourself at home. The first thing to do is to find out what caused the inflammation, it will depend on what the treatment will be. For example, if a hard goiter is found on palpation, but the bird behaves normally, most likely there is no goiter inflammation - this is a temporary indigestion. In such cases, you need to transfer the chicken to diet food, feed it only soft food, give it a lot to drink. The food can be boiled potatoes, boiled chicken eggs, boiled porridge and so on. In addition, you need to do a soft goiter massage, which will help the food to pass further along the esophagus.

If, in parallel with the modification of the goiter, the bird experiences discomfort, eats and drinks poorly, has become lethargic, does not lay eggs well, one can suspect an inflammatory process in the goiter. First you need to try the diet mentioned earlier. At the same time, it is necessary to give the chicken probiotics and medications that will improve digestion. If this did not help, then the question of surgical intervention will arise: the veterinarian-surgeon cleans the digestive organ through a small incision in the pharynx, which is then carefully sutured. After the end of the procedure, the chicken is transferred to a special diet, which will necessarily include probiotics in order to restore the digestive function.

Features of candidal blockage of a goiter

As mentioned earlier, the fact that a chicken has a large goiter may be a consequence of the excessive development of a fungus of the genus Candida in the organ. This variant of the disease does not threaten other birds and animals, since it is not contagious. In principle, it is impossible to get infected with Candida, since this fungus is normally found in any living organism, but its amount should not exceed the norm.

Nevertheless, there are often cases when the body fails and the fungus begins to multiply at a tremendous rate. This usually happens when the hens' immunity is lowered for one reason or another. in order to prevent candidiasis, you need to provide proper care to chickens, monitor their nutrition, add a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals to it.

How to clear a goiter with a blockage

The very first task facing the owner of a sick chicken is to cleanse its goiter. It is important to clear the entire goiter, freeing it of liquid and food debris. Let us describe in detail how to do this correctly if the goiter is still clogged:

• you need to take a sick chicken in your arms;
• lower it so that the head hangs down;
• press the wings to her body;
• with your left hand, feel for a swollen goiter;
• make pushing movements with your hand.

If everything is done correctly, you will hear the characteristic sounds of how liquid and air are squeezed out. After some time, it will be possible to see how a gray liquid with a sharply unpleasant sour smell begins to flow out of the beak. These are candida mushrooms. To make the process go faster, it is recommended to shake the chicken a little, while simultaneously massaging the goiter with your fingers.

Treatment of goiter sac candidiasis

After the goiter has been cleared of foreign contents, they proceed to the stage of direct treatment. It will begin by treating the pharynx with an antibiotic solution. This is usually done with a regular syringe filled with antifungal medication. It is recommended to use this method, and not injections, since when rinsing, the solution gets where it is needed. Veterinarians recommend carrying out such a manipulation at least 2 times a day, the most effective drug is 10% beitrile. The course of treatment is at least 5 days.

In addition, it is worth urgently transferring the bird to a dietary diet that will be based on the consumption of yoghurts: they will help restore the normal function of the goiter in chicken and chickens and the digestive system as a whole. You will have to give up the usual feed and compound feed for a while. It is better to transfer the hen to a more gentle diet, consisting of soft foods. It is not bad if it contains vegetable oil: it will promote better passage of food through the digestive tract.

Such a diet must be adhered to for at least a month or longer, if so required by the doctor's prescription. How do you know if a chicken is healthy? Full recovery will be indicated by a situation when, during examination, stagnation of food cannot be detected, and the goiter will feel soft and pliable, empty to the touch.

Prevention of inflammation of the goiter

In order to prevent the development of blockage of the goiter sac, it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to preventive measures. As mentioned earlier, an important role in prevention is played by a properly balanced food... It is important to monitor not only what the chicken eats, but also how much it eats so that the goiter is not clogged with remnants of undigested food.

In addition, you need to make up the diet in such a way that it contains enough greens. A hen with chickens can peck the grass on their own while walking, or there is something that the farmer will pick for her. This meal should be at least 1 time per day, preferably in the morning. Poultry farmers recommend adding fish scales or small stones to the poultry diet, which will help ensure that food does not linger in the goiter. To prevent stagnation, you can add apple cider vinegar to the drinkers, while observing the proportions.

The reason for the sagging goiter

Sagging goiter in chickens or chickens is an independent disease, which can also contribute to the fact that the goiter is regularly clogged with food debris. The sagging goiter itself is a consequence of the loss of muscle elasticity, which most often develops in older birds. This can be seen with the naked eye: the goiter looks puffy, enlarged, flabby, is at the level of the chicken breast, and is often filled with liquid or food. There is also a chronic course of the disease, which occurs due to the fact that the chicken has repeatedly suffered goiter diseases, including those of an inflammatory nature.

Also among the causes of this disease can be noted poor nutrition: its irregularity, lack of vitamins and trace elements in the feed. The fact is that the bird, receiving irregular nutrition, tries to get enough by eating more than it can, which stretches the thymus muscles. Rarely, a stretched goiter can be seen in chickens. The reason for this is improper feeding, when the chick feeds without a brood hen. The fact is that the chicken, feeding the chicken, does not allow him to overeat. It is produced naturally and naturally.

Blockage and inflammation

Sagging goiter accompanies the fact that food is slowly transported to the stomach. It also happens that the muscles atrophy so much that they completely lose their contractile function. This is called atony. With this development, food ceases to be pushed further, its fermentation begins directly in the goiter, which entails a secondary addition of infection.

A stretched goiter is dangerous because it can rupture. This can happen even when the chicken is healthy. It is the rupture that provokes the fact that fungi and bacteria are involved in the process, since an ideal environment is formed for them.

It is also necessary to take into account that it is not possible to restore the elasticity of the organ, for this reason it is necessary to enrich the bird's nutrition with vitamin A, which has a positive effect on the state of the mucous membrane of the goiter sac.In extreme cases, surgical intervention is used, with the help of which the goiter is given a normal physiological shape.

Mechanical damage to the goiter

Quite often, the chicken is injured, some of them occur in the goiter. Conventionally, damage to the goiter can be divided into 2 groups:

• internal;
• external.

Internal trauma to the goiter in a chicken means that a foreign object along with the food has entered the esophagus and damaged the goiter. This can be, for example, sharp sawdust, a stone with a sharp end, etc. In addition, stale food, which has already begun to ferment, can cause injury. When consumed, its volume increases, which stretches the walls of the goiter in birds. There is a high probability that undigested food will enter microscopic skin cracks, which will provoke an inflammatory process.

External injuries are the result of accidental mechanical actions such as blows, injuries resulting from a fight, and pet bites. If the wound is open, food will fall out, promoting the suppuration process. In addition, the bird will be hungry, since the food will not enter the stomach in the right amount.

Treatment of both types of damage to a large goiter can only be a surgical intervention, during which the goiter will be completely cleared, as well as the wound will be sutured. In order to prevent infection or cure it, apply antibiotics a broad spectrum of action that will fight against pathogenic microflora. In addition, the chicken is traditionally transferred to a temporary diet that involves the use of only moist soft foods.

Conclusion

We have listed all the conditions that can cause goiter blockage. Now you know what symptoms should cause alertness, what to do if you suspect clogged goiter in chickens, what treatment should be, what stages it consists of, and also why prevention of clogged goiter is needed. It is important to take the diet of chickens seriously and to take sufficient time to care for them. In no case can you ignore the problem of a large goiter.