Why do chickens die: how to determine the cause and what to do, treatment methods

Farming chickens involves some difficulties. The owners are counting on an increase in numbers, on the constant replenishment of nests with eggs, but expectations are not always justified. When keeping chickens, infection of all laying hens, diseases of some individuals are possible. If the number of hens is declining, then it is important to quickly understand why laying hens begin to die. After determining the cause, they plan how to help them, what to do to avoid a similar situation.

Main reasons

When a laying hen dies, they analyze the current situation and find out the reason that became the basis of the outcome. The loss of one chicken can be both one-time and regular.

Identify the main reasons why the number of chickens in the chicken coop is declining:

• lack of vitamins, minerals, poor nutrition;
• insufficient care, characterized by freezing or overheating of the bird;
• poor conditions (poorly fortified chicken coop);
• rodent attacks;
• infection with various diseases.

Unhe althy diet

Eating out is one of the most common grooming mistakes. For growth and development, chickens need vitamins. The cause of death can be poor-quality, dirty food, lack of drinking in sufficient quantities, as well as irregular feeding.

Experienced poultry farmers purchase feed from trusted buyers, control quality and plan rations in advance.

Chickens need a balanced diet with enough minerals and organic matter.

Inappropriate containment conditions

The chicken coop is equipped with light, conduct heat, take into account the ventilation system. Special heaters are used to heat the chicken coop, and stationary lamps are distributed for lighting. If the chicken coop is not insulated enough, then in winter the chickens can freeze, weaken, and then die.

A poorly built barn can be damp in summer. The development of mold in the corners often leads to the fact that the risk of developing diseases increases. Chickens become lethargic, weak, lose their appetite.

Diseases

The main reason for the death of chickens is infection with infectious diseases. Infections are carried by rats, mice, insects.Laying hens are susceptible to some pathologies that develop in the presence of risk factors. The danger of infection is that after the death of one chicken, the death of the next may follow.

If chickens die en masse

Mass mortality of chickens begins after the appearance of one infected individual and its subsequent death. At this stage, the owners try to quickly find out which disease caused the death of the individual in order to take preventive and therapeutic measures.

Pasteurellosis

The infection dubbed "avian cholera" is caused by sticks. The risk group is called young individuals with unformed immunity. The reason for the development of cholera is often jumps in temperature, high humidity.

Infection occurs in one of the following ways:

• through drinking, eating;
• after contact with a sick bird;
• after an insect bite.

Sick birds are destroyed, he althy individuals are given antibiotics for a general course of at least 14 days.

Newcastle disease

Viral disease, which is characterized by concomitant pneumonia, damage to internal organs. The virus is especially active in autumn and summer, it is transmitted from a sick individual, spreads through the clothes of a person caring for chickens, through food, drink. Symptoms:

• temperature increase to + 43 degrees;
• lethargy, decreased activity;
• appearance of conjunctivitis;
• diarrhea;
• appearance of tremor, developing into paralysis.

Only strong individuals with well-developed immunity survive. According to statistics, 90% of sick chickens die. Newcastle disease develops rapidly, reaching its peak in 3-5 days.

Coccidiosis

Without appropriate measures, this disease can completely destroy all chickens in 7 days. It is a parasitic disease that affects the intestines. Provocateurs of the appearance of the parasite can be a violation of the rules for care, feeding poor-quality contaminated feed. Severe forms of the disease are not treatable.

First, sick chickens are separated from he althy ones, then therapy is carried out. If you start treatment in a timely manner, then the likelihood of recovery increases.

Ascariasis

The causative agent is a parasite that infects the intestines. In a few days, the mortality of chickens increases by 3 times. Worms are the most common type of pathogen.

After infection, the first symptoms appear only on the 7-8th day. When chickens are affected, a characteristic sign of ascariasis is growth retardation. Treatment begins with the resettlement of the sick, disinfection, antibiotics and probiotics.

If the birds die one by one

There are diseases to which chickens are at risk. The risk group is considered to be young birds under 3 months of age. The death of chickens one by one can reduce the number, lead to the development of other diseases.

Information! A sick bird is immediately removed from the common chicken coop.

Abdominal dropsy

Some birds begin to have difficulty developing internal organs. An increase in the abdominal cavity indicates the development of dropsy. This means that the abdominal cavity is filled with fluid due to disorders of the kidneys or liver. The situation is corrected by inserting a sterile needle and then draining the fluid.

Broncho-pneumonia

After hypothermia, chickens get sick with bronchopneumonia one by one.The disease is diagnosed by wheezing, breathing problems, inability to consume food. The disease leads to the death of the bird only if therapeutic measures are not taken. You can rid the chicken of symptoms with a course of antibiotics.

Salpingitis

Laying hens are prone to inflammation of the oviduct. The reasons are different factors:

• Containment Breach;
• avitaminosis;
• past infections.

When the oviduct falls out of the cloaca, the chicken cannot be saved. But, if treatment is started early, then the laying hen recovers after a course of antibiotics and the use of local drugs.

Information! One of the signs of salpingitis is the obesity of the laying hen.

For what reason can chickens die

Newborn chicks are sensitive to changes in temperature, react to changes in lighting and need fortified feeding. If they die 1-5 days after hatching, then the reason may be non-compliance with the temperature regime.

In addition, there are other causes of death that can be corrected in advance:

• too sharp change in air temperature, as well as increased air temperature;
• indigestion due to dietary errors;
• atrophy of the stomach muscles due to lack of a solid component in food;
• lack of vitamins;
• pathology of internal organs;
• poisoning;
• contagious diseases transmitted from sick birds if chicks are kept together with adults.

Poultry farmers identify the most dangerous periods during which chickens can die:

• from 1 to 5 days of existence;
• 20 to 25 days;
• from 35 to 40 days.

How to diagnose the problem

It is possible to determine the cause of the death of the case of several chickens or one bird by characteristic features. Despite the fact that each disease has its own distinctive features, the general symptoms are the same:

• refusal to eat, lack of appetite;
• refusing to drink or drinking too much, greedily;
• lethargy, lameness, enlargement of some parts of the body;
• impaired coordination of movements, tremor of some parts of the body.

Some diseases provoke an increase in body temperature, a change in the shade of the integument, the condition of the crest: it turns blue or white.

To determine the cause, chicken droppings are taken and taken for diagnosis to laboratory assistants from a veterinary clinic. If the bird died for no apparent reason, it is sent for an autopsy to prevent the disease of the entire herd.

Treatment and prevention of cases

Therapeutic measures begin after determining the cause. Many diseases require the appointment of a course of antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs. They are added to drink, mixed with food:

• antibiotics (Tetracycline, Biomycin, Levomycetin);
• antiparasitics (Levomizol, Mustang insecto).

Many owners carry out therapy using folk remedies. A weak solution of manganese is added to drinking water. Bunches of tansy and chamomile are hung around the perimeter of the chicken coop.

Vaccination helps to minimize the risk of certain diseases. Vaccinations are carried out by visiting veterinarians. Adding liquid solutions to food or drink is carried out independently.

Disinfection of the chicken coop is considered a prerequisite for caring for infected birds. Change bedding, clean feeders, destroy nests of infected layers.

Prophylactic measures are those aimed at preventing diseases, the development of conditions that can provoke the appearance of parasites:

• monitor the purity and quality of food, drink;
• use clean feeders and drinkers;
• natural vitamins are added to food: herbs, some berries;
• carry out regular cleaning of the chicken coop with a change of bedding;
• On the run, they make sure that the chickens are away from chemicals, not in contact with pets.

Chickens die for various reasons. To conduct competent treatment, they find out the cause of the disease and eliminate risk factors.

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