A guide to help you plan how to protect your flock from salmonella infections and monitor the effectiveness of your programme. Why are you keeping chickens? This is the first and most important question. The answer will affect how much effort and money you are prepared to invest in a) [Read More]
The following list of vaccine is arranged on the basis of infection protected against. These were taken from the Veterinary Medicines Department website and are accurate at the date shown. I have not distinguished between live or dead vaccines at this time. Listing on the VMD website is not a [Read More]
Infectious Coryza is an infection of chickens that has recently come to prominence in the UK particularly in Backyard fowl. It is likely that because this is a fastidious bacterium to grow, it has been under diagnosed or mistakenly diagnosed as Mycoplasma gallisepticum for which there is a simple blood [Read More]
Over the years in the UK, the cases that I seen have been presented as a sudden rise in mortality in free range layers, traditional Christmas turkeys, 1 case in broilers and broiler breeders. The latter usually affected the cockerels first. The chronic form has been seen as swollen or [Read More]
Erysipelas in birds is usually an acute overwhelming and fatal infection. It is most commonly seen in turkey flocks but is now being seen more in free range layer flocks. It is also the cause of swine erysipelas (diamond disease), joint ill in lambs or post dipping lameness in sheep. [Read More]
Avian Tuberculosis is a chronic wasting condition affecting many species of birds. This is not a disease that I have seen much in commercial poultry. I have learnt of one case in racing pigeons recently, seen a case in hens at a processing plant in the late 1980’s and know [Read More]
This dissertation is provided courtesy of Dr. Damer Blake, Pathology and Infectious Disease Department, and Laura Langstaff, Veterinary Student of the Royal Veterinary College 18.08.12 Abstract Awareness of chicken parasites among backyard chicken keepers, commercial producers and vets Laura Langstaff and Dr Damer Blake, Royal Veterinary College 2 Abstract Research [Read More]
Background One of the causes of chronic respiratory infections in chickens and infraorbital sinusitis in turkeys and gamebirds. Synonyms “Bulgy eye”, frequently referred to as Mg. Cause Mycoplasma gallispecticum Host Chickens, Turkeys, Pheasants, Partridge, Peafowl, Guinea Fowl, Quail, Racing pigeons, Amazon parrot, Ducks, Geese. Also recorded in Tree sparrows (Japan), [Read More]
What to look for as general signs of sickness and diseases of respiratory system, digestive system and reproductive reproductive system …. Introduction Clinical signs are those changes in the body or behaviour that are considered to be abnormal. They are the external manifestation of a disease process. We can only [Read More]
Coccidiosis is one of those infections that we tend to take for granted as being well controlled by the in-feed anticoccidials and this is probably generally true. However, you should remember that there have not been any new anticoccidials for several years now. Coccidia can and do build up resistance [Read More]