Backyard poultry: problems and solutions Flashcards
Are backyard poultry allowed to be fed kitchen scraps?
Yes
What are the 4 main purposes of backyard poultry?
- Food
- Sport e.g. cockfighting
- Hobby e.g. show pets
- Home pets
Name 5 common backyard pure poultry breeds
Ancona
New Hampshire red
Brahma
Cochin
Scots grey
Malay
Name 3 commercial hybrid egg laying breeds of poultry
Isa brown
Hissex brown
Hy-line
Name 3 commercial hybrid meat producing breeds of poultry
Ross
Cobb
Hubbard
When dealing with problems in backyard poultry flocks what information should be gathered on the history?
- Location
- Parasites
- Vaccination
- Source of the flock
- Management e.g. feed, water, vermin control
- Biosecurity
- Housing
- Protection e.g. adverse weather, predators
- Species and age
- Temperature, ventilation, dust, ammonia
What is the definition of free range poultry?
During daylight poultry has access to
- ground with vegetation
- mud and nettles
- bark, woodchips, gravel or mesh
Name the 5 freedoms
- Freedom from hunger and thirst
- Freedom from discomfort
- Freedom to express natural behaviour
- Freedom from fear and distress
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease
What must be considered when assessing the food and water of backyard poultry?
- Different species /type and age of birds require different equipment
- Nutritional requirement, according to species, type and age
Improper handling of birds can cause …? (4 options)
- Respiratory distress
- Skeletal injuries
- Stress
- Death
What are the normal ranges of temperature, HR and RR for poultry?
Temp = 40-42 degrees
HR = 120-160bpm
RR = 20-130brpm
Where can the heart be auscultated in poultry?
Through the wishbone
What should be assessed on the clinical exam of poultry?
Temperature
Mouth/Beak
Oropharynx
Skin and Feathers
Vent
Abdomen
Feet
Which sites can be used for blood sampling birds?
Wing vein or Jugular vein
What is different on avian blood smears?
RBCs are nucleated
How can faecal samples be obtained?
Cloacal swab
Droppings
The eggs/oocysts of which possible parasites may be found on the faecal sample or poultry?
Trichostrongyle
Heterakis
Gapeworm
Capilaria
Eimeria spp
Gizzard worm
Which areas can be used to BCS poultry?
Fat coverage over the pin bones
Breast muscles
List 5 skeletal conditions that poultry may present with?
Kyphosis
Scoliosis
Spondylosis
Bent breast bone
Rickets
Describe the skin glands in poultry
Generally no skin glands - sebaceous or sweat
Specialised glands = preen/uropygial gland
What is the function of the preen/uropygial gland?
Produces a lipid secretion for feather maintenance
What is the brood pouch?
- Hormone controlled area
- Prior to laying it loses all of its feathers and it highly vascularised
- Many thermo-receptors
- Used to insulate the egg
What are the functions of feathers?
Flight
Insulation - temperature regulation, insulation/brooding
Behaviour
Moulting
What is wing clipping?
Removing the first 10 secondary feathers from one wing
