Poultry Flashcards
Name 2 differentials for respiratory disease in all poultry
Avian influenza
Newcastle disease
Name 3 routes of transmission for respiratory disease
3 of Eggs, Egg contamination, vertical transmission and environmental
Name 2 routes of poultry vaccination
2 of; water, sprays, injection, intra-ocular and in ovo
What is the ideal PM batch size?
6
What are the issues with vaccination in water?
Chlorination of water reduces efficacy and they do not provide upper respiratory tract immunity
What vein and needles size do you use to blood sample?
Brachial vein and 19-23g needle.
What respiratory disease do turkeys get that hens do not?
Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT)
Name 2 diseases that cause sneezing in hens
Infectious bronchitis, avian rhinotracheitis and Avian influenza
List symptoms of avian influenza
Runny nose, eyelid oedema, sneezing, respiratory distress, haemorrhage, neurological signs, fatality
List symptoms of Newcastle disease
Respiratory distress, central nervous signs eg. Head tilt, diarrhoea
At what age do chickens often scour from Eimeria
24 days
Which clostridium causes enteritis in chickens
Clostridium perfringens
List the clinical signs of Clostridial disease
Huddling/depression/dullness with sudden death
Thin necrotic gut walls on PM
Predisposing factors for clostridial infection
Concurrent infection
Excessive protein in food
Energy/protein imbalance in food
Sub optimal husbandry
High levels of non-starch polysaccharides in food
Treatment for clostridial disease
Amoxicillin 20mg/kg/day orally often through water (tylosin also licensed but protected)
Pre-biotics to help gut Flora
Enzymes (beta mannanases) for protein ingestion
What does diarrhoea from brachyspira look like
Yellow and frothy
Avian intestinal Spirochaetosis (AIS) is caused by which three organisms
Brachyspira alvinipulli
Brachyspira intermedia
Brachyspira pilosicoli
Treatment for brachyspira
Tylosin or tilmicosin (both protected macrolides)
Salmonella causes what colour of diarrhoea
Green
Symptoms of fowl typhoid (salmonella)
Mortality
Anaemia
Green diarrhoea
Hepatomegaly
Treatment for salmonella
None - manage on farm
What pathogen is coccidiosis caused by?
Eimeria species
What are the 3 major species of chicken Eimeria and where do they infect?
Eimeria acervulina (upper intestine)
Eimeria maxima (upper and middle intestine)
Eimeria tenella (caeca)
Why do chickens scour with Eimeria at 24 days?
Estimated 3 Eimeria lifecycles of 8 day length required to stimulate immunity. At 24 days cell mediated immunity kicks in
Clinical signs of coccidiosis
Poor FCR
Poor bone mineralization
Lameness
Dehydration
Decreased pigmentation
Cause of infectious bronchitis (QX)
Gamma coronavirus
Control of turkey haemorrhagic enteritis
Vaccination through water at 18-28 days for lifelong immunity
What lesion is almost pathognomonic for infectious bursal disease (gumbro)
Bursitis (PCR to confirm)
Causes of femoral head necrosis in the bird
Bacteria (S. aureus)
Immunosuppression
Reovirus
What causes hopping lameness associated with rapid growth and insufficient exercise?
Gastrocnemius tendon rupture
What does kinky back refer to
Spondylolisthesis
List the common causes of lameness in poultry (8 total)
Femoral head necrosis
Hock joint infection
Osteomyelitis
Tibial dyschondroplasia
Rickets
Pododermatitis
Spondylolisthesis (kinky back)
Spinal abscesses
How can disease spread in hatcheries
Substandard egg washing
At what age are poults transferred to release pens
6-7 weeks
Signs of yolk sac infection
Malodorous, dehydration, emaciation, omphalitis (umbilical infection), mortality, coliforms and large discoloured yolk sac
Signs of starve out/non starters
Weakness, lethargy, mortality
Starve out - no ingesta in gizzard
Non-starter - ingesta (often bedding), absorbed yolk sac and pale liver
Salmonellosis in poults transmission/diagnosis
Contamination of brood hut or vertical
Caecal (cores) inflammation on PM
Swab liver for isolation
What must not be done to a bitted bird
Release them
Watery diarrhoea, dehydration,weight loss, lethargy, depression and mortality are signs of
Spiranucleosis and trichomoniasis
Coccidiosis seen at what age in poults
21 days to 16 weeks
What symptom is pathognomonic for histomoniasis in poults
Multiple Black circular lesions with white rings on the liver
How long must eggs and meat be withdrawn for off license drug use in game birds
Egg 7
Meat 28
What do drugs need to be okay to use in meat producing anymals
Minimum residue limit (MRL)
What is the primary pathogen causing bulgy eye in poults
Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Incoordination, tremor and cataracts are signs of
Avian encephalomyelitis virus (AEV
Mycoplasmosis treatment
Aivolsin - licensed
Doxycycline is treatment for for which 3 diseases
Spiranucleosis, trichomoniasis and histomoniasis
Toltrazuril (boycox) is licensed for what disease in poults
Coccidiosis
Are vaccinations used in gamebirds?
Not commonly
Newcastle disease and mycoplasma used in parents stock
Facts about Dermanyssus gallinae
Blood feeding ectoparasite
Difficult to detect and control
Treated with fluralaner in water
Commercially available vaccine
Eimeria tenella facts
Parasites in caeca
Gi inflammation/haemorrhage/blood in caeca and droppings,
Host specific
Shed by clinically infected birds
Capillaria facts
Nematode
Rapid reproduction
Causes mild irritation - death
Barrel shape eggs, clear plucks on pole
