Poultry Flashcards
Definition of free range poultry?
During daylight have access to:
- ground with vegetation
- mud and nettles
- bark, woodchips, gravel or mesh
Normal temperature for poultry?
40-42C
Normal HR for poultry? Normal respiratory rate for poultry?
120-160bpm (Auscultate through wishbone)
20-130brpm - watch tail movement
Where to take blood from a bird?
Wing vein
Right jugular
Which worm eggs should be looked for in a poultry faecal sample?
Gizzard worm Trichostrongyle Heterakis Gapeworm Capilaria
What skin glands do poultry have?
Generally no sebaceous or sweat glands
Uropygieal/preen gland in some species - produces lipid secretion for feather maintenance
Within outer auditory canal
Ventral glands of cloaca
What is the brood patch?
Different proportion/location for different species
Mostly caudal half of ventral apterous
Hormone controlled
Prior to laying, loses all/part of feathers and highly vascularised
Many thermo-receptors
Subsequent cycle of moulting, feathers regrown
Problems with poultry feathers?
Feather pecking Moulting Wing clipping Nutrition related De-pluming mite
Indications of skin problems?
Discoloured comb - pale, purple, black, yellow, white flakes, white spots
Treatment for skin and feather parasites of poultry?
Lice: louse powder Mites: louse powder contains permethrin Diatomaceous earth Scaly leg mite: surgical spirit De-pluming mite: ? Do not use fipronil (not licensed)
How do the proventirulus and gizzard work together?
Food moves between them several times
Works like stomach and teeth
Gizzard must have insoluble grit to act as teeth
What do capillaria, heterakis, ascarids, trichostrongyles, tapeworm and gizzard worm cause in poultry?
Capillaria: ill thrift, fatal
Heterakis: ill thrift
Ascarids: ill thrift, fatal if impaction
Trichostrongyles: ill thrift, severe weight loss
Tape worm: ill thrift, weight loss
Gizzard worm: fatal in young stock
All have variable degree of loss of LBW, FCR, drop in egg production
What is Heterakis a vector/intermediate host for?
Histomonas spp
Treatment of poultry worms?
Flubendazole licensed wormer
In food for 7 days
What does Histomonosis cause in poultry? Species? Intermediate host? Prevention/treatment?
'Blackhead' Histomonas melaegridis Yellow diarrhoea, fatal if not treated early Intermediate host = Heterakis gallinarum No specific treatment Biosecurity top priority Control Heterakis - flubendazole Mortality up to 100%
What does Trichomonosis cause in poultry? Treatment?
Cancker
Worm regularly and cider vinegar (7d/month)
Probiotics
What does Hexamitosis cause in poultry?
Diarrhoea and unthriftiness
Clinical signs of Chlamydia psittaci infections of poultry and waterfowl? Diagnosis, treatment and prevention?
Purulent ocular and nasal discharge
Conjunctivitis
Dull and depressed
Anorexia
Ruffled feathers
Diagnosis - clinical signs, lesions, bacteriology, serology
Treatment/prevention - no vaccine available, antibiotics (no response to macrolides), hygiene and sanitation, biosecurity
Clinical signs of Aspergillus fumigatus infection in poultry and young game birds?
Dyspnoea/gasping poults
Production drops (poultry)
Weight loss
Mortality increased
How long does it take for an egg to be made and travel from infundibulum to cloaca? What happens at each place?
Infundibulum: catches ovum, 0.5h Magnum: albumin added, 3h Isthmus: shell membranes added, 1.25h Uterus: egg shell added, 20h Vagina Cloaca
How long is incubation for chickens, turkeys and ducks?
Chickens: 21d
Turkeys and ducks: 28d
What temperature to store eggs at and for how long for incubation?
10C
Over 24h but <7d old
Turn eggs daily
What is candling?
9-10d after incubation
To determine the egg fertility
Use small bright torch held at broad end of egg in dark room
Clinical signs of egg peritonitis?
Ascites
Peritonitis
Death
How may eggs and the oviduct be affected by IBV infection?
Mis-shapen/weak eggs
Watery whites
Rough shell
Cystic/atrophic oviduct
How does Mycoplasma synoviae affect eggs?
Apex egg abnormalities
What is the main cause of egg bound?
Lack of available calcium
Which drugs to use for anaesthesia of poultry?
Ketamine
SC or IM or in bait for peacock capture
And medetomidine
Reversal with atipamezole
Analgesia for poultry?
Buprenorphine Carprofen Ketoprofen Meloxicam IM Then orally to weight
Euthanasia of poultry?
Pentobarbitone - IV - wing, jugular - IM breast muscle after masking down - Intracardiac, long needle via thoracic inlet - Occipital sinu Neck dislocation if <3kg
Where to take blood from waterfowl?
Medial metatarsal vein
What is Angel wing in ducks?
Excessive protein intake during rearing can cause uratesto to be deposited in soft joints - carpal area seems last to ossify
The primary feathers are the last to be produced
At peak primary feather growth, the carpal joint deforms with the weight of the blood quills
Makes the primaries point outwards
What causes rickets? Clinical signs? Influenced by? Solution?
Cause = Calcium, phosphorous or vitamin D deficiency
Rubbery bones
Bird unable to support itself, increased skeletal deformities
Waterfowl mostly present with lameness, slow growth and twisted bones
Influenced by mycotoxins, malabsorption of Ca, P, vat D?
Solution: check diet formulation/management and supplement vitamin D
What type of viruses cause Duck viral enteritis and Duck viral hepatitis?
Duck viral enteritis - herpesvirus
Duck viral hepatitis - picornavirus
What type of viruses cause Goose viral hepatitis (Derzy’s disease) and haemorrhage nephritis and enteritis of geese?
Goose viral hepatitis (Derzy’s disease) - parvovirus
Haemorrhage nephritis and enteritis - polyomavirus
What type of virus is Avian Influenza?
Orthomyxovirus
What Pasteurellosis species affect waterfowl?
P multocida
P anatipestifer
Most are common signs of disease in waterfowl?
Lameness
Lethargy
Weight loss
Sudden death
Causes of lameness of waterfowl?
Soft tissue injury Foreign body Joint infection Osteoarthritis Fractures Mycoplasma tenosynovitis Renal/gonadal neoplasia Renal coccidiosis Heavy metal toxicity Bumblefoot Avian TB
How to treat waterfowl fractures?
First treat the shock Rigid stabilisation of fracture site Rotational alignment IM pin and ESF - to ensure rigidity, resist all shearing/torsion/bending forces Restoration of bone length Clean swimming water for rehab
Causes of waterfowl penile prolapse?
Venereal disease
Trauma
Significant cold weather
Excessive sexual stimulation
What is pinioning?
Feather clipping
Allowed in ducklings and goslings up to 7d old
Normally not done except for Call duck
Annual feather clipping of primaries often sufficient and acceptable
Surgical pinioning for adults if any trauma
Gamebird young chick problems (2-14do)?
Yolk sac infection Septicaemia Starve out Aspergillosis Rotavirus
What agents cause Spironucleosis and Trichomoniasis in game birds? What age do they affect? Clinical signs? Risk factors? Diagnosis?
Spironucleus melaegridis (1-12wo) Trichomonas gallinae (6-16wo) Clinical signs: - watery diarrhoea (often yellow and frothy) - dehydration - weight loss - depression - lethargy - death Risk factors: - wet and moist environment - overcrowding - stress Diagnosis: - necropsy fresh SI smear - differentiate the protozoa under microscope - duodenum and ileum: mostly spironucleus - caecum: trichomonas
What causes young game birds to get yolk sac infections?
Infection in eggs - navel infection
Environmental Infection/spread - bacteria grows well in yolk sac
What is starve out in game bird chicks? Clinical signs?
Failure to find feed/water High mortality Lethargic chicks Empty gizzard Gizzard containing bedding material
Causes of starve out in young game bird chicks?
Breeding flock unhealthy Prolonged hatching period Chill-effect after hatch Temperature variation on arrival/house Environment - ammonia, heat, carbon Poor feed and water insufficient/distribution
Which game birds does Rotavirus affect? Mortality level? Age affected? Clinical signs? Treatment? Prevention?
Pheasants and partridges Up to 70% mortality 4-14do Clinical signs: - depression - dropped wings - closed eyes - huddling - ruffled feathers - death Treatment: disinfectant in drinking water or spray Prevention: - frequent egg collection - egg cleaning and disinfection - cleaning and disinfection between flocks/pens/batches
What is the most pathogenic Coccidia species in young game bird poults? Where is it found? What age? Diagnosis? Treatment?
Eimeria colchici Found in caecum 15do-16wo Likes warm and moist environment for oocysts to proliferate Diagnosis: - necropsy: gut smear - faecal smear Treatment - toltrazuril, amprolium
Main clinical sign of enteritis/dysbacteriosis in gamebird releasing poults? Diagnosis? Treatment?
Scour in growing poults leading to dehydration
Diagnosis - necropsy, inflammation of GIT
Treatment - antibiotics, improve hydration, acidification of water system, competitive exclusion products, electrolytes
Stress factors related to release of game birds poults?
Chill effect following release to new environment/outside
Transport stress - ventilation, withholding food/water
Unfamiliar environment
Searching for food and water
Exposure to predators
Respiratory diseases of game bird breeders?
Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Mycoplasma synoviae
Coronavirus infections
Which worms can build up in game bird breeds? Clinical signs of worm build up?
Syngamus trachea
Heterakis gallinarum
Capillaria
Ascarids
Clinical signs:
- high mortality
- poor food conversion and weight gain