Small Flock Factsheet, Number 31
Phillip J. Clauer, Poultry Extension Specialist
Animal & Poultry Sciences Department
Introduction
Signs of Health and Disease in Poultry
II. Internal
Visit
Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Introduction
I. Disease: "Any deviation from normal state of health."
Disease Diagnosis Disease Symptoms Prevention/Control Avian Influenza
(Virus)
Mild form: Decline egg production - Mild respiratory disorder - Sneezing-
coughing - Low mortality Systemic form: Chronic respiratory infection -
Sinuses filled with cheese (like plugs) - Drowsiness, swelling of heads - High
mortality
Serological test only means of proper diagnosis - Prevent
through vaccination - Vaccination not successful because of
the many serotypes and short immunities - Management best
prevention - De-population best control
Blackhead
(Protozoan)
Sulfur colored droppings - Enlarged ceca with cheese-like core - Large saucer-
shaped lesions on the liver - 50% mortality after 15 days
Rotate range and keep different ages of bird
separate -
dimetridayole is an effective treatment
Cholera
(Bacterium)
Listless, refusal to eat or drink - Rapid loss of flesh - Diarrhea, severe drop in
egg production - Darkened head and combs - Swollen or paralyzed feet, head
and legs - Swollen wattles and high temperatures. Lesions: Hemorrhages on
heart and liver - hemorrhages on gizzard and intestines - light spots visible on
liver and heart
Sanitation, rotate range - dispose of carcasses promptly -
vaccines are available - treatment of sulfa-tracylines
Coccidiosis
(Protozoan)
Low mortality - loss of weight and poor growth - Bloody droppings - Intestines
or ceca are swollen, bloody mucus when opened - Many types of coccidia; each
affect different portion of intestine or ceca.
Coccidia are always present - good sanitation, dry litter
- use
of a coccidiostat helpful - change coccidiostat so coccidia does
not become resistant - treatments of sulfas are effective for
early outbreaks
Fowl Pox
(Virus)
"Wet Pox" - labored breathing nasal/eye discharge, facial swelling - canker are
found in the mouth - cankers are found in the throat and windpipe "Dry Pox"
brown/yellow bumps on face, comb and body - bumps look like scabs in 2-4
weeks.
Vaccination best prevention
Infectious Bronchitis
(Virus)
Respiratory noises in both chicks and old birds - gasping rales and coughing -
wet nasals and eyes - inactive, tend to huddle - Declined feed consumption -
dropped egg production with soft-shelled, misshaped eggs and poor egg quality
- lower mortality
Vaccination - no specific treatment established - must make
affected birds as comfortable as possible - increase heat to
eliminate drafts
Infectious Coryza
(Bacteria)
Sneezing - clogging of nostrils and sinuses with a sticky, putrid smelling
exudate - exudate accumulates and causes swelling of face, eyes and wattles -
cheesy core sometimes develops in eye
Caused by stress, drafts - birds which recover from severe
infections become carriers and seem to become ill often -
sulfa drugs have been a satisfactory treatment
Laryngo-tracheitis
(Virus)
Coughing, sneezing, difficult breathing - depressed - stretches neck when
inhaling (causing sound as they breathe) - occasional facial swelling - medium
to high mortality Lesions: bloody mucus in the trachea - cheesy plug at the
upper tracea, usually causing death (get lab diagnosis)
Vaccination is only treatment - Quarantine
Merek's
(Virus)
Paralysis - slower growth and feathering - usually no signs Lesions: swelling
in the peripheral nerves in legs and wings - tumors on some visceral organs
Vaccination - no treatment
available
Newcastle
(Virus)
Coughing, sneezing, rattling in the windpipe - decreased feed consumption -
increased water consumption - nervous symptoms and paralysis - heads down
or in circles - stopping egg production - many soft shelled eggs - yellowish
cloudy air sacs
Vaccination - no treatment available
Signs of Health and Disease in Poultry Feature Normal Unhealthy Posture
Bird stands erect. Head and tail elevated.
Head held close to body,
tail and possibly
wings droop, neck twisted with head held over
back or between legs.
Head
Comb and wattles bright red in color. Face parts
filled out. Eyes bright and alert. Nostrils clean,
free of exudate.
Comb and wattles shrunken, pale or blue in
color. Face parts shrunken. Eyes dull, may be
held only partly open. Nostrils caked, crusted.
Eyes watery. Sinus area below eye swollen or
flutters with respiration.
Musculature
When handled, bird has feeling of
weight, when
struggling has power in its movement.
Loss of weight and strength. Muscle
at point
of the keel and near crop cavity shrunken,
resulting in a thin breast.
Legs and Feet
Scale covering clean and waxy.
Legs filled out,
joints are smooth and cool to the touch.
Dehydrated with prominent tendons.
Joints
enlarged, warm to the touch. Bottom of feet
cracked, crusted or discolored. Scales enlarged
and crusty.
Feathers
Smooth, neat and clean.
Feathers not preened. Feathers
fluffed out or
broken. Staining in areas of abdomen. Bird
generally ruff looking.
Pigmentation
Characteristic for breed and strain,
period of
production.
Reduced depth of color. In adult hens an
excess of yellow pigment may result from
disease reducing rate of lay.
Appetite and Thirst
Eat and drink frequently.
Loss of appetite or excessive drinking.
Respiration
Absence of noise. Breathing through nostrils.
Movement of abdominal wall barely perceptible.
when pen temperature exceeds 85š F. healthy adult
poultry will breathe through the open mouth.
Young chicks will demonstrate this at temperatures
about 100š F.
Gurgling, rattling, snickering noise; gasping;
obvious movement of abdominal wall.
Manure
Gray, brown, white caps. Mass has
definite form.
Droppings firm, sticky, not firm. Dropping passed
from ceca may be frothy.
Milky white, green, yellow, red. Dropping very
liquid or very sticky, not firm.
Parasites
I. External (can transmit disease)
NOTE: A little mineral and vitamin supplement is good. However, too
much can be bad, even fatal.
Nutritional Deficiencies Minerals Deficiency Symptoms Calcium
Rickets, poor egg shell quality. Phosphorous
Rickets, poor egg shell quality. Zinc
Poor feathering, short bones. Vitamins
A
Decreased growth, production ataxia (muscles uncoordinated).
Night blindness. Embryos die at
second and third day of incubation.
Xerophthalmia (tearing of eye, cornea becomes softened).
D
Soft, spongy beaks and bones. Poor egg quality, thin shells,
rickets in young birds.
E
Low hatchability. Embryos die at fourth day of incubation.
Degeneration of muscles.
K
Hemorrhages in body cavity. Thin blood, poor clotting.
Riboflavin
In young: slipped sciatic nerve. Flabby muscles. Crippled legs, feet.
Sprattled legs, walk on hocks. Club down on dead embryos. Old birds: dry skin, refusal to walk, decreased production. Niacin
Poor feathering, bowed legs, twisted legs, enlarged hock joints. Dermatitis. Thiamine
Unsteady gate, weak legs. Pantothenic Acid
Scab-like lesions on corners of beak, on feet. Broken feathers, dermatitis, large liver, yellow liver. Biotin
Embryos, shortened long bones, webbing between toes, parrot beak, deaths at 7
days or 3 days before hatching. Adults dermatitis on feet around eyes and beak.