5 Most Dangerous Chicken Diseases And How To Avoid Them
Several living organisms that occur with poultry affect people as well as chickens, and several affect only poultry. Many are easily preventable with common sense and good hygiene. Some are naturally occurring within the birds or are found in the environment and thus require additional treatment through vaccination or medicated feed.
Learn MoreWe’ve selected the top five diseases which are very dangerous,
Salmonella
Salmonella is the dangerous diseases that poultry keepers need to be concerned with. There are many strains of salmonella—too many for the scope of this article—but the three we need to know about are Salmonella pullorum and gallinarum, which can sicken chickens, and Salmonella enteritidis, which can sicken us from the food-safety standpoint
Chickens carry salmonella naturally, and select, few strains can be passed from the hen to the chick through the egg, including enteritidis. It can also contaminate the coop through feces.
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Chicken manure doesn’t remain on the floor like that of other livestock. It becomes aerosolized; in other words, the feces become dust, which coats everything in the house, including eggs. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to refrigerate your eggs as soon as possible because the longer each egg sits out at room temperature, the more the salmonella is pulled into the core of the egg.
However, it doesn’t really matter if your eggs are contaminated, so long as you cook them. Cooking destroys salmonella. You can, however, still get sick from eating products that include raw eggs in the recipe, such as mayonnaise, Caesar salad dressing, raw cookie dough.
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling poultry, and, as tempting as it is, don’t hug or kiss baby chicks.
Salmonella can also infect your own house through the aerosolized fecal dust, so I suggests using a designated set of clothing and changing into clean clothes before you enter the house. And if you get fecal matter on yourself, wash it off as soon as you can. And use a dust mask when cleaning the poultry pen.
READ ALSO: Problems Caused by Poor Feed in Poultry Birds
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is probably the second most-known of the poultry diseases, after salmonella. However, the chance of exposure in a backyard flock is slim.
“If you lose half of your flock in 24 hours, that’s code red,. If you’re losing a bird here and there, it’s probably not AI. The best thing you can do if you suspect AI is to call the emergency hotline at the state vet’s office or a veterinarian and they can walk you through what to do.
People can get AI; however, it’s not likely. It’s more of a disease that can wipe out flocks, which is why testing is good. Testing for AI is required for competitions and fairs. Some states might require AI testing if you transport birds across state lines. The test is either a blood test or a swab of the mouth or throat. Eggs can also be tested.
Watch Out for Part Two
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