HealthRelated Topics
Keeping poultry healthy and preventing endemic infections
Poultry can be affected by a variety of diseases and parasites, some of which are endemic to certain types of bird. You will need to introduce and maintain a strict hygiene programme to keep diseases out of poultry. As well as carrying out stringent hygiene and biosecurity measures, you will need to carry out vaccination or medication strategies to prevent and/or control certain endemic
diseases.
The two most serious diseases that you must keep out of poultry flocks are
Newcastle disease and avian influenza (bird flu). Other poultry diseases include
chronic respiratory disease, fowl cholera, Salmonella, Campylobacter and
internal parasites. Salmonella and Campylobacter, while highly contagious in
poultry, are not necessarily life-threatening for fowl. These diseases can
however cause serious illness in humans if they get into the food chain.
Daily inspection of poultry by trained staff, in good lighting conditions,
and independently of any automatic surveillance equipment, is the best method to
prevent serious outbreaks of disease. Inspections will enable you to detect
early signs of disease simply by noting changes in the behaviour and condition
of individual hens.
The early signs of ill health may include changes in food and water intake,
in preening, in ‘chatter’ and in activity. There may also be a drop in egg
production and changes in egg quality such as shell defects.
Poultry can be affected by a variety of diseases and parasites, some of which are endemic to certain types of bird. You will need to introduce and maintain a strict hygiene programme to keep diseases out of poultry. As well as carrying out stringent hygiene and biosecurity measures, you will need to carry out vaccination or medication strategies to prevent and/or control certain endemic
diseases.
The two most serious diseases that you must keep out of poultry flocks are
Newcastle disease and avian influenza (bird flu). Other poultry diseases include
chronic respiratory disease, fowl cholera, Salmonella, Campylobacter and
internal parasites. Salmonella and Campylobacter, while highly contagious in
poultry, are not necessarily life-threatening for fowl. These diseases can
however cause serious illness in humans if they get into the food chain.
Daily inspection of poultry by trained staff, in good lighting conditions,
and independently of any automatic surveillance equipment, is the best method to
prevent serious outbreaks of disease. Inspections will enable you to detect
early signs of disease simply by noting changes in the behaviour and condition
of individual hens.
The early signs of ill health may include changes in food and water intake,
in preening, in ‘chatter’ and in activity. There may also be a drop in egg
production and changes in egg quality such as shell defects.