Infectious diseases can occur in poultry farming for all type of pets and breeds. When a chicken looks sick it will behave strange. A healthy chicken will have bright normal eyes and scavenges for food. whereas, an unhealthy sick chicken will look dull and have dull eyes and are less active with ruffled feathers. And you may notice abnormal breathing i.e.,coughing, abnormal digestion and the chicken are laying fewer or abnormal eggs.
Infectious diseases are generally caused by germs. These germs act as pathogens which means they cause disease.
Some of the disease caused by pathogens are listed below,
1. Viruses causing e.g. Newcastle Disease, bird flu or avian influenza, fowl pox and Gumboro disease.
2. Bacteria causing e.g. fowl cholera, typhoid and pullorum disease.
3. Fungi causing e.g. Aspergillosis or brooder pneumonia.
Some of the above listed diseases can cause high death rates.
Of all the microbes, only a few parasites are visible to the naked eye. All other germs can only be seen with special microscopes. Fungi or moulds can produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. If birds eat feed with mycotoxins, their resistance may be lowered and their health is severly attacked. Feed should therefore be stored properly to avoid fungal growth. Parasites also cause disease or result in retardation of growth: internally like roundworms, tapeworms and coccidiosis or externally like fleas, ticks, lice.
The right diagnosis should be carried out by a good veterinarian and suitable remedies should be taken to save the lives of the chickens from pathogens or else it will end up in high mortality rate of the chickens.
