by Kim Berg, CoopCrate staff writer
If your flock is a part of your family, you probably want to make sure they’re healthy and out of harm’s way. No one wants to walk into their coop to find sick chickens. Sadly, chickens are at risk of contracting a number of diseases due to their lifestyles and certain tendencies. The good news is these diseases are often preventable! Let’s take a look at some of the most common diseases and how to prevent them from reaching your flock.
1. Fowl Pox
Fowl pox is a highly contagious slow-spreading viral disease. It is known as the worldwide disease of poultry. This disease can come in two forms: wet or dry. Symptoms for the dry form include wart-like lesions on the unfeathered areas of your chickens. The wet version of this disease can consist of lesions around the mouth and discharge from the eyes.
This disease has no treatment, but typically clears up after two weeks. Just give your sick ones some extra TLC during this time to ease their discomfort. If you notice one chicken experiencing signs of this disease, it’s important to try to isolate it to avoid spreading to the rest of the flock.
Prevention of fowl pox comes in a couple forms. There are vaccines available for fowl pox if you want to take that route. Also, try to restrict mosquitoes from entering your flock’s enclosure as much as possible. Mosquitos are notorious for transmitting diseases, like this one!
2. Infectious Bronchitis
Yes, your chickens can catch bronchitis! This disease is just as infectious as the one humans contract, too. Infectious bronchitis is an acute viral respiratory disease in chickens. Signs of this disease include: coughing, rales, gasping, sneezing, discharge in the eyes and nose. Other common symptoms of this disease consist of low egg production and low consumption of food and water.
Treatment for this disease is pretty minimal. You can treat them to antibiotics to prevent other infections from occurring, but you and your flock will have to wait this one out, too.
There are a few vaccines for this disease, but none can guarantee 100% prevention. The best way to prevent infectious bronchitis is by staying on top of rodent control as well as having a well-planned biosecurity method in place.
3. Marek’s Disease
This is a viral neoplastic disease in chickens (herpes infection), and it’s very serious. Also referred to as “fowl paralysis,” this disease is a form of avian cancer, and tends to affect chicks between 12 and 25 weeks old. Symptoms of Marek’s include depression, loss of appetite, anemia, weight loss, dehydration, tumors, irregularly shaped pupils, and paralysis.
Unfortunately, once this disease is contracted, it will never go away and often leads to death. If an infected chicken were to survive, it would still be a carrier of the disease and would need to be permanently removed from the flock to prevent spreading it to the others.
Though this disease is very scary, there are ways you can prevent it from reaching your flock! Newly hatched birds can be vaccinated for Marek’s Disease to significantly reduce the risk of infection.
4. Newcastle Disease
Newcastle is another highly contagious disease caused by a para-myxo virus from wild birds. There are different strains of this disease, and some are more lethal than the others. Symptoms include: nasal discharge, difficulty breathing, murky eyes, decreased egg production, paralysis of the legs, and twisting of the neck.
Treatment for Newcastle would include antibiotics to prevent other infections, but they’ll have to wait it out. Chicks have a lower chance of survival once contracting this disease, but birds tend to make a full recovery.
Since this disease comes from wild birds, vaccinating your flock and practicing good hygiene is key.
5. Coccidiosis
This disease is parasitic, affecting the intestinal tract of your chickens. It spreads by one animal coming into contact with infected feces or ingestion of infected tissue. Symptoms of coccidiosis are: loose or bloody stool, weight loss, ruffled feathers, and diarrhea.
Treatment for this disease varies depending on the species of the parasite, but there are medications to help rid your flock of each one. Antibiotics are also used for this disease. Chickens may become immune to one kind but still contract another, which is why it’s important to check for signs and symptoms regularly.
Keeping a clean coop, brooder, and feeding area is the best way to avoid coccidiosis from spreading. If your chicks are unvaccinated, using a medicated starter feeder or adding probiotic supplements to their food may help prevent coccidiosis.
Now that you know the most common diseases for chickens to contract and how to prevent them, you’re sure to have a safer and happier coop! Your flock will thank you for keeping them healthy and protected from these (sometimes deadly) infections.