Poultry

Question 1

Chickens
Temp
Hr
RR

Answer 1

Temp: 40-42 C

HR: 120-160 bpm, auscultate through wishbone

RR: 20-130 pm

Question 2

Site for blood sample

Answer 2

wing vein> right jugular vein

Question 3

How are faecal samples obtained from chickens, and what is looked for?

Answer 3

cloacal swabbing or dropping
worm eggs
protozoal oocysts

Question 4

What are the 3 main notifiable diseases in birds

Answer 4

1. Avian Influenza
2. Newcastle Disease
3. Pigeon paramyxovirus

Question 5

Which roundworms (nematodes) affect chickens

Answer 5

Syngamis trachea ‘poultry gape worm’
asphyxia, coughing and gasping

Capillaria spp
upper digestive tract+ small intestine Inappetence, weight loss, reduced egg production

Ascardia gali

Heterakis gallinium
Low pathogenicity in itself but a vector for highly pathogenic protozoa Histomas meleagridis

Question 6

What is the cause of chicken coccidiosis?

how many species of this affect chickens?
how is this diagnosed?
how would you treat

Answer 6

Eimeria truperellar: caeca- diarrhoea +/- blood
E. brunetti: lower SI, rectum, caeca and cloaca
E. necatrix: anterior and middle SI

unsporulated oocyst in faeces
PME: shizont and merozoites
tx: monesin (anticoccidial)

Question 7

which ectoparasite causes

a) extensive crusting and lesions on poultry
b) pruritis, papules and curst on birds. Debilitated and stop feeding. Aneamia. D shaped anal plate diagnostic.

c) anaemia and death.
discolouration of feathers.
pear shaped anal plate. always present on feathers.

d) unable to rest, irritated, body weight decreases, egg production decreases

Answer 7

a= Knemidocoptes spp
Scaly leg

b= Dermanyssus gallinae, Poultry red mite

c) Ormithonyssus sylvanna
Northern fowl mite

d) Chewing lice 
Lipeurus caponis (underside of wings, tail feathers) 

Menacanthus stramineus (the chicken body louse)

Menopon gallinae (the shaft louse)

Question 8

What is used to treat nematodes in chickens?

Answer 8

Flubendazole

Question 9

Which parasites affect the GI tract in chickens

Answer 9

• Capillaria: px: intestine cx: ill thrift,fatal
• Heterakis: aet: vector through histomonas spp px: caeca: cx: ill thrift
• Ascarids: px: intestine cx: ill thrift, fatal if impaction
• Trichostrongyles: px: instesitne cx: ill thrift, severe weight loss esp in red grouse
• Tape worms: px: intestine cx: weight loss
• Gizzard worm: px: gizzard, fatal in young stocks
• Eimeria spp
• Histomonosis (blackhead) sp: turkeys cx: yellow diarrhoea, fatal is not tx
• Trichomonosis: cx: cancker in chickens, turkeys, pheasants
• Hexamitosis

Question 10

what is the function of the uropygial gland

Answer 10

lipid secretion for feather maintenance