Common broiler diseases and their treatment

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

If you think that young broilers are ordinary chickens that need to be looked after in the same way as all the rest of their chicken brotherhood, then you are mistaken. The fact is that a small broiler chicken in just 2-3 months turns into a large individual weighing up to 8 kg, or even more. But at the same time, he is very vulnerable at an early age. Problems with the digestive system, inability to control one's body temperature, lack of enzymes - all this can cause illness in broilers, and their treatment will be effective only if the poultry breeder has certain knowledge.

How to keep broilers

Bad housing conditions are a direct path to the disease of chickens, and their treatment, first of all, must begin with the arrangement of the premises. To do this, clean it and disinfect it with a solution of ordinary bleach. The walls must be dry, it will be better if you whitewash them with lime. If you are still not completely sure of sterility, then after all the landscaping procedures, treat the room with formalin. Close windows and doors tightly for a day, and then ventilate well. It is advisable to limit chickens fromcommunication with other birds, especially adults.

Broiler diseases and treatment

Let's look at the most common diseases in chickens:

• Avitaminosis, that is, a lack of vitamins (primarily A, D and B). If there is not enough vitamin A, then the young are stunted, the mucous membrane of the eyes and the respiratory tract are affected. A lack of vitamin D is a direct path to rickets (as in humans), and a deficiency of B vitamins can result in paralysis. For the prevention and treatment of beriberi, you need to feed chickens intensively with greens, carrots and other vegetables, as well as give products containing these vitamins.

• Chicken cannibalism (when the young peck at each other). Bright indoor light and poor nutrition are the cause of this disease in broilers, and their treatment is the addition of proteins, amino acids and minerals to the feed. Feed on time and make sure that there is always water in the drinker, make the lighting less bright. If you find pecked chickens, then isolate them from he althy ones and lubricate the wounds with antiseptics. Find the instigator of the fight and isolate him too, as he, having tasted blood, will continue to bring you trouble.

  

• Enteritis is a disease that occurs in very young chickens and leads to large losses of livestock. This inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract is treated with antibiotics, biomycin and potassium permanganate solution.

Exceptlisted, there are still infectious diseases of broiler chickens, their treatment is carried out with the same drugs as for the above diseases. The ailments in this category include pullorosis (white diarrhea), coccidiosis (diarrhea in the form of foam mixed with blood) and aspergillosis (caused by molds).

Keep your chicks he althy and well-nourished to minimize disease so that broilers can heal faster and possibly avoid disease altogether. Otherwise, there is a risk of incurring considerable losses due to the mass departure of young animals.