Poultry Diseases.
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| Poultry Diseases | Poultry Farming In Kenya |
Poultry diseases are a common problem in Poultry Farming in Kenya. They can affect both commercial and backyard flocks, and can cause serious economic losses.
There are a number of poultry diseases, and each one has a specific set of symptoms. Many poultry diseases are caused by bacteria, and they can be treated with antibiotics. However, some poultry diseases are caused by viruses, and they cannot be treated with antibiotics.
What Are The Four Common Disease In Poultry - Poultry Farming In Kenya
To better understand the poultry diseases you may encounter, it is important to first understand the types of diseases that exist. Each type of disease has its own causes and problems, but with proper bio-security most can be easily prevented.
#1. Behavioral Diseases - Poultry Farming In Kenya
If your birds are acting aggressively, pecking at other birds, or plucking their feathers excessively, it could be a sign of a behavioral health issue. Over-stressed birds may begin to eat eggs or revert to cannibalism under certain living conditions. To stop problems before they start, make sure your herd is properly fed and not overheated or overcrowded. Also keep track of other general health issues.
#2. Metabolic/Nutritional Diseases - Poultry Farming In Kenya
Chickens that live in an unhealthy environment are more susceptible to metabolic and nutritional diseases. Birds can become lame, have soft bones and beaks, or have reduced egg production if they do not receive adequate nutrition and exercise. Most of these illnesses can be easily cured with proper care, but sometimes these symptoms can be a factor in other underlying illnesses.
#3. Infectious Diseases - Poultry Farming In Kenya
Infectious poultry diseases can be viral, bacterial or fungal and tend to be the most common as they are easily passed from bird to bird. Infectious poultry diseases can affect your birds' intestinal, nervous, respiratory, immune or reproductive systems, as well as their skin. If any of your birds show signs of an infectious avian disease, it is important to isolate the incident as much as possible and treat your birds quickly to protect your flock.
#4. Parasitic Diseases - Poultry Farming In Kenya
Parasites can live in your bird and are often contracted through contact with other infected birds or special living conditions. Some common types of parasites are ticks, mites, lice, fleas or roundworms. Most of the time, you can see the parasites or their symptoms through feather damage, irritation, or even your bird's droppings. Doing monthly checks on your birds and keeping your coops clean should help prevent parasitic poultry diseases.
SEE ALSO; 7 Things Amazing About Poultry Farming In Kenya You Wants to Know
What Is The Most Common Poultry Disease - Poultry Farming In Kenya
Now that we have looked at the types of poultry diseases you might encounter in your flock, we want to list some of the most common specific poultry diseases. Here are the symptoms of each disease, how to treat it, and how to prevent it.
#1. Fowl Pox - Poultry Farming In Kenya
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• Symptoms for Fowl Pox | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Fowl Pox can present in two ways: wet or dry. In the dry form, your bird's featherless areas will have wart-like lesions that heal in about two weeks. The wet form of the disease has lesions that appear around your bird's mouth and eyes.
• How to Treat Fowl Pox | Poultry Farming in Kenya
There is no cure for fowl pox, but it usually goes away on its own after a few weeks. We suggest giving sick chickens a little extra care to make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
• How to Prevent Fowl pox | Poultry Farming in Kenya
There are special vaccines designed to prevent smallpox in most birds, but if birds show signs of infection, be sure to quarantine them. Also, be sure to control mosquitoes in your coops, as they can spread disease from flock to flock.
#2. Infectious Bronchitis - Poultry Farming in Kenya
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| Poultry Diseases | Poultry Farming In Kenya |
Symptoms for Infectious Bronchitis | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Just like humans, your chickens can catch a cold and it's just as contagious. If your flock is infected, you will notice that egg production will decrease, feed and water consumption will decrease, there may be discharge from the birds' eyes and nostrils, and you may notice your birds breathing hardly.
How to Treat Infectious Bronchitis | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Unfortunately there is not much you can do for bronchitis. You can give your birds antibiotics for a few days to ensure no further infections occur while they are sick, but otherwise just wait.
How to Prevent Infectious Bronchitis | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Like fowlpox, there are some types of preventive vaccines for infectious bronchitis, but this is not a guarantee. Having a good bio-security method, along with proper rodent control, should help keep disease to a minimum.
#3. Marek’s Disease - Poultry Farming in Kenya
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Symptoms for Marek’s Disease | Poultry Farming in Kenya
This disease, also known as avian paralysis, usually affects chickens between 12 and 25 weeks old. If your chick has developed tumors, has irregularly shaped pupils (usually resulting in blindness) or develops partial paralysis, it is likely that it has Marek's disease.
How to Treat for Marek’s Disease | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Since this poultry disease is a form of avian cancer, unfortunately there is not much that can be done for infected chicks. It is also contagious because it is a virus and is transmitted when a hen breathes in the coat of another infected bird. If the bird survives, it will carry the disease for life, so it is best to remove it from the flock early.
How to Prevent Marek’s Disease | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Although this disease seems scary, there are vaccines available. Newly hatched birds can be vaccinated against Marek's disease to help reduce the risk of infection.
#4. Newcastle Disease - Poultry Farming in Kenya
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Symptoms Newcastle Disease | Poultry Farming in Kenya
As a respiratory disease, Newcastle (ND) symptoms tend to manifest as difficulty breathing, runny nose, cloudy eyes and reduced egg laying. Birds can sometimes experience twisting of the neck and paralysis of the legs and wings. There are several strains of this bird disease, some of which are more deadly than others.
How to Treat Newcastle Disease | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Birds usually recover from PN and are not carriers, but if their chicks develop the disease, they are unlikely to survive. As with other illnesses, you can give your birds antibiotics for a few days to prevent further bacterial infections.
How to Prevent Newcastle Disease | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Since the disease is transmitted by wild birds, it is very important to have your flock vaccinated. It is also recommended to practice good hygiene, as a person can infect other birds through clothing or footwear.
#4. Coccidiosis - Poultry Farming in Kenya
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Symptoms Coccidiosis | Poultry Farming in Kenya
When your chicken has loose stools, it's likely to have coccidiosis, a parasite that damages the intestinal wall of chickens. In addition to loose droppings, you may also notice bloody or watery diarrhea, weight loss, and ruffled feathers in your chickens.
How to Treat Coccidiosis | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Since there are six species of Eimeria (the coccidiosis parasite), your bird may be immune to one type but contract another. You can treat this with antibiotics or other specific types of medication that will kill the parasite.
How to Prevent Coccidiosis | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Keeping feeding areas, brooders and poultry houses clean and dry will help prevent the spread of coccidiosis. Using medicated starter feeds for your unvaccinated chicks or adding probiotic supplements to the feed is another way to help control this bird disease.
#5. Gumboro - Poultry Farming in Kenya
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Symptoms for Gumboro | Poultry Farming in Kenya
It is a highly contagious viral disease that affects poultry, but especially chickens, most of which are three to eight weeks old.
How to Treat Gumboro | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Infectious bursal disease is not well treated. The virus is quite stable in the environment, thus it must be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, controlled for pests, and given enough downtime once a farm has been infected to prevent future outbreaks.
How to Prevent Gumboro | Poultry Farming in Kenya
Biosecurity and immunization are the two key axis for preventing and controlling Gumboro disease. It is challenging to control the virus because of its makeup and environmental tolerance; it can withstand the environment for up to four months. Vaccinations are administered to chicks in their first few weeks of life.
Recommended Vaccination Programme
What is Best Vaccine for Poultry Farming in Kenya?
What Disease is Poultry Vaccinated Against?
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Recommended Vaccination Programme |
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DAY |
VACCINE |
METHOD |
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1( done in the hatchery) |
Mareks + IBD-Vaxxitek NCD+IB Live(Vitabron) |
Intramuscular injection Spray( done in the hatchery) |
|
15-18 |
NCD+IB Live |
Eye drop/Drinking water |
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WK 6-8 |
NCD Killed or NCD+IB Live. Fowl typhoid |
Intramuscular injection. Drinking water Intramuscular Injection |
|
WK 8-10 |
Fowl pox Fowl cholera |
Wing stab Subcutaneous injection |
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WK 12-14 |
Fowl typhoid |
Intramuscular injection |
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WK 16-18 |
NCD+IB Live |
Drinking water/spray |
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WK 16-18 |
Fowl cholera |
Subcutaneous injection |
Poultry Farming in Kenya | Tips!
Maintain the Coop.
Although it may seem obvious, you should keep the water supply clean and fresh and replace the water every day. Make a secure coop with enough lighting. Your birds must have a secure inside space, and you might think about installing a modest heater for the winter.
Protect the Flock Against Disease
You'll want to ensure that you're immunizing your chickens against disease, just like you would with a domestic pet. Eliminate infestations of insects and parasites. this is related to cleanliness and immunizations..
Invest In Quality Feed
keep a reliable food source. Think of enhancing grains with calcium- and mineral-rich additions like diatomaceous earth or oyster shell grit. The chickens' diet will be improved as a result, and the addition of calcium will help the chickens lay healthy eggs.
The Golden Ratio.
The ratio of hens to roosters will vary depending on the breed, but we advise a 12:1 ratio, meaning that you should have 1 rooster for every 12 hens. If you have too many roosters, your hens will mate too frequently, which causes them to lose feathers, develop bear backs, and possibly even suffer injuries.
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