Most Common Chicken Diseases and Treatments

There are many types of Chicken Diseases and Treatments all over the world and not taking care could probably ruin a chicken farmer. We discuss the Most Common Chicken Diseases and Treatments.

11 Most Common Chicken Diseases and Treatments

• Fowl Pox
• Marek’s Disease
• Mushy Chick
• Pullorum (White Diarrhea)
• Newcastle Disease
• Thrust
• Infectious Coryza
• Infectious Bronchitis
• Fowl Cholera
• Botulism
• Air Sac Disease

Fowl Pox – Description and Treatment

White scabby spots on their combs and ulcers in the mouth are good indications of Fowl Pox. Chickens can get infected from other chickens, mosquito and the virus can be contracted by air.

Treatment for Foul Pox among Chickens.

Remove chickens from the coop. Rest them in a dry warm place.
Vaccine are available to prevent your chickens from getting infected.

Botulism – Description and Treatment

Botulism in poultry is a disease that paralysis the neck and limbs of a chicken and is often confused with the Malek’s disease. Tremors will progress and your chickens becomes paralyzed with heavy breathing. The chickens feathers will easy pull out death will occur in a few hours

Treatment for Botulism

You can get an antitoxin from your local vet.
The main reason for Botulism is a dead animals like a rat or chicken in the coop. To avoid Botulism, keep your coop clean and spray with Virukill

Fowl Cholera – Description and Treatment

Fowl Cholera is a bacterial disease and could be found in wild animals, food and water that has been contaminated by the Fowl Cholera Bacteria.
Unfortunately there is no treatment and if the chicken survive it will always be a carrier of the disease.

Fowl Cholera is a serious and highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida are found in a range of birds including chickens, turkeys, and water fowls.

You need to remove the infected chicken and destroy the carcasses.
You can get a vaccine to prevent Fowl Cholera from you vet.

Infectious Bronchitis – Description and Treatment

Infectious bronchitis is an acute, highly contagious upper respiratory tract disease in chickens. Drainage will secrete from eyes and nose. The chickens will sneeze, snore and cough, Chicken Layers will stop to lay eggs.
You can get medicine from your vet and if you ignore doing so Infectious Bronchitis is a viral disease and will spread fast through the air.

Infectious Coryza – Description and Treatment

Infectious coryza is an acute respiratory disease of chickens characterized by nasal discharge, sneezing, and swelling of the face under the eyes. It is found worldwide. The disease is seen only in chickens; reports of the disease in quail and pheasants probably describe a similar disease that is caused by a different etiologic agent. Heads become swolen, eyes swell shut and swelling in the comb.
Discharge from eyes an noses.
This disease mainly travels in contaminated water
Chickens will also moisture under their wings

No treatment or vaccine available for this disease and chickens will ha e to be put down.

Marek’s Disease – Description and Treatment

One of the most common diseases in South African Broiler farming. Marek’s disease is an insidious disease that catches many keepers by surprise. Its effect on your flock can be devastating.
The disease is more common in younger birds under 20 weeks of ages.
Their iris will turn gray and they will no longer responds to lights. They will become paralyzed.

The bird shows signs of progressive paralysis, usually in the legs or wings. Often the bird looks like it’s doing the splits.
Twisting of the head to one side or backwards.
Respiratory problems such as labored breathing.
Darkened or purple comb (lack of oxygen).
Diarrhea.

This disease spread easily as the virus transmit from bird to bird.
Marek’s Disease is passed on by chickens breathing pieces of shed skin and feathers from and infected chick.

You need to put the Marek’s Infected Chicken down as it will carry the disease for life it if survives

Thrust – Description and Treatment

A White substance inside their corp. They eat more than normal and the chicken will appear lethargic and have a crusty vent area.
Feathers will appear ruffled.
Thrust is a fungal disease and mean that it can be contracted a if you allow your chickens to feed on
molded food. They can also contract the disease from surfaces or contaminated water.

There is no vaccine but can be treated with anti fungal medicine.
Be sure to remove bad food and clean their water containers regularly

Newcastle Disease – Description and Treatment

Newcastle Disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects many species of domestic and wild birds to varying degrees. Domestic fowl, turkeys, pigeons and parrots are most susceptible while a mild form of the disease affects ducks, geese, pheasants, quail and guinea fowl. The disease can result in digestive, respiratory and/or nervous clinical signs, which range from a mild, almost unapparent respiratory disease to very severe depression, drop in egg production, increased respiration, profuse diarrhea followed by collapse, or long-term nervous signs (such as twisted necks), if the birds survive. Severe forms of the disease are highly fatal.

Appears through the respiratory system. Your chickens will have breathing problems, discharged from their nose, murky eyes and laying will stop
The chickens wings and legs will become paralyzed and their necks twisted.

This decease is carried by other birds, including wild birds.
Newcastle Disease is highly infectious – You can even spread it by human touch. Most baby and young birds will die from the disease and
older chickens might recover and are not carriers after recovery.

There is no treatment for Newcastle Disease, although treatment with antibiotics to control secondary infections may assist. The virus can remain alive in manure for up to 2 months and in dead carcasses for up to 12 months, however it is easily killed by disinfectants, fumigants and direct sunlight. Prevention relies on good quarantine and bio-security procedures and vaccination.

Mushy Chick – Description and Treatment

This disease obviously will impact chicks. It usually shows up in newly hatched chicks that have a midsection that is enlarged, inflamed, and blue tinted. The chick will have an unpleasant scent and will appear to be drowsy. Naturally, the chick will also be weak.

So this disease doesn’t have a vaccine. It usually is transmitted from chick to chick or from a dirty surface where an infected chick was. And usually, it is contracted from an unclean area where a chick with a weak immune system contracts the bacteria.

There is no vaccine for this disease, although sometimes antibiotics will work. But usually, when you come in contact with this disease you will need to immediately separate your healthy chicks from the sick ones.

Use caution as the bacteria within this disease (such as staph and strep) can impact humans.

Air Sac Disease – Description and Treatment

This disease first appears in the form of poor laying skills and a weak chicken. As it progresses, you will notice coughing, sneezing, breathing problems, swollen joints, and possibly death.

Now, there is a vaccine for this illness, and it can be treated with an antibiotic from the vet. But it can be picked up from other birds (even wild birds) and it can be transferred from a hen that has it to her chick through the egg.

So just keep an eye out for any of these symptoms so it can be treated quickly and effectively.

Pullorum (White Diarrhea) – Description and Treatment

This disease impacts chicks and older birds differently. The chicks will show no signs of activity, have a white paste all over their backsides, and show signs of breathing difficulty. Though some will die with no signs at all.

This is a viral disease. It can be contracted through contaminated surfaces and other birds that have become carriers of the disease. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for this disease and all birds that contract the disease should be put down and the carcass destroyed so no other animal will pick up the disease.

However, in older birds, you will see sneezing and coughing on top of poor laying skills.

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