2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The death of chickens is, alas, a common thing. The death of birds occurs for many reasons: improper housing, improper feeding, infectious and non-infectious diseases. Today I want to talk about the dangers and diseases of a non-infectious nature
They can be divided into 3 subtypes: external influence, improper feeding, poisoning.
External influences - these are the wrong conditions of keeping, which can reduce the number of livestock in a matter of days. They lead to problems such as hypothermia, overheating, cannibalism.
Hypothermia (hypothermia) occurs when the chicks are not getting enough heat. In the first months, the chicks poorly regulate body temperature, therefore the slightest temperature drops have a detrimental effect on the young. Does the bird freeze? You can understand the behavior. Chicks cluster near the heat source, they are inhibited, inactive, emit one, but elongated (plaintive) squeak, begin to climb on top of each other. The weakest individuals die first, which are simply trampled and deprived of air access. The surviving individuals are inhibited in development, they are susceptible to acute respiratory diseases, their intestinal functions are upset, the plumage fades, the bird has an unhealthy appearance. A problem noticed in time and, of course, the correction of the conditions of detention will save the livestock.
Hyperthermia (overheating) is the opposite of the previous problem. Insufficient shelter in hot weather, walking in the open sun, lack of water, excessive heating of the room. With dehydration, intoxication of the body occurs. External manifestations are loss of appetite, wrinkling and anemic ridge. A severe degree of intoxication causes dysfunction of the liver and intestines.
Cannibalism - a brutal manifestation of the Darwinian theory of "Survival of the fittest". Chickens begin to pluck feathers from the weakest individuals, peck at injured parts of the body until death. The root cause of this behavior is excessive irritation, excitability. This self-defense scheme by neutralizing opponents is activated when there is not enough space. Lack of walking, insufficient feeding, excessively long and intense lighting can also overload the chicks' nervous system, leading to aggression. First aid - resettlement of affected individuals, treatment of wounds with disinfectant solutions, additional supplementation for early healing. The feed is abundantly mixed with bone meal, yeast additives, herbs. If it is not possible to correct the living conditions in a short time, sedatives (for example, "Aminazin") are prescribed to healthy (still) chicks.
Improper feeding - this is insufficient, irrational, not stabilized, poor quality, untimely feeding. Such disturbances in feeding lead to vitamin deficiencies and blockages of the goiter, atrophy of the gizzard, and dyspepsia.
Avitaminosis - long-term lack of certain vitamins. The type of vitamin deficiency is also determined by the symptoms.
Lack of vitamin A characterized by loss of appetite, pronounced conjunctivitis inflammation, in severe form, the chickens fall to their feet. You can replenish vitamin A by increasing the amount of chopped grass, adding carrots to the diet.
Lack of vitamin B very seriously affects the central nervous system. The first sign is throwing the head back, followed by convulsions, feathers lose their elasticity and look peeling. Fish, bone, meat meal must be added to the diet of birds. A large amount of greens, sprouted grains and whey are essential for birds with vitamin deficiencies.
Lack of vitamin D manifests itself at 2-6 weeks of age. The first signs are a decrease in appetite, growth retardation. In severe form, deformity of the joints of the fingers and curvature of the sternum. Vitamin D deficiency is replenished with mineral supplements, fish oil and chopped nettle.
A rarer type of vitamin deficiency is
vitamin K deficiency … It manifests itself as a complication of respiratory diseases. Decreased appetite, dry scallop, beards, eyelids, small but numerous hemorrhages - this type of vitamin deficiency leads to all this. Alfalfa, nettle, clover, carrots are used from natural additives to feed, and from preparations - vitamins of group K in a proportion of 1 g per 10 kg of feed.
Read about the rest of the problems caused by malnutrition and chicken poisoning in the following articles.
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