Department of Agriculture and Food

January 2012 Replaces Gardennote Number 22

Note: 496

Common problems with backyard chickens

By Roy Butler, District Veterinary Officer Inappropriate or inadequate feed, water, shelter or excess stress, as well as infectious disease, may cause illness in birds. Because poultry are not usually handled routinely and feathers hide the birds condition, owners are often unaware of how thin a bird is until it is dead.

Some common diseases of chickens

Egg-bound hens Birds become egg-bound when an egg matures inside the bird, but is not laid. The vent may prolapse. Unless the bird is very valuable, euthanasia is the appropriate treatment. Egg peritonitis results when an egg ruptures inside the bird. Affected birds become depressed, cease eating and usually die. This is a very difficult condition to treat. The most common cause of egg peritonitis is perches set too high; no perch should be more than 60 cm above the ground. Cannibalism Chickens are naturally curious and can develop a vice of picking at open wounds or various parts of the bodies of other birds. The habit may develop from a variety of causes, including faulty diet, crowding, overheating, insufficient nesting, eating or drinking space or poor ventilation. Isolate any birds with open wounds or vent problems. It may be necessary to cull offenders as re-education might not be possible. Lice Lice are small parasites which infest birds around the vent and the neck. Lice eggs bundle up to the

Healthy birds

To recognise if birds are sick it is necessary to know the appearance and behaviour of healthy, normal chickens. Observe the flock carefully every day. Observe them when they are calm and unstressed. A healthy bird should be bright, alert and active. It should eat often and interact with other chickens. It should hold its head high and have clean eyes and nostrils and a clean comb and wattles. Healthy birds may have pale combs, especially when moulting. Its breathing should be silent and unnoticeable. If it is handled, it will normally struggle. Its feathers should be smooth and its legs clean, smooth and pale. The appearance of droppings is not necessarily an indicator of health as they can vary considerably, even in healthy birds.

Sick birds

Sick birds may exhibit a range of clinical signs and sometimes they exhibit few outward signs, except perhaps lethargy and loss of appetite. Sometimes birds are just found dead. Signs of illness include: drooping wings and tail; discharge from the nostrils and eyes, and weakness or paralysis of one or both legs or wings. Droppings should not be totally white, bright green or contain blood. Birds with diarrhoea will often have faecal stains around the vent. A sick bird may lose its appetite but may continue to drink. Birds with respiratory disease may have laboured breathing, tail-bobbing while breathing or a cough or a snick. Unless it is very hot, birds should not breathe with their beaks open. Birds combs should not be dark blue or black.

Chicken louse

The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.

Important disclaimer

For more information visit www.agric.wa.gov.au

size of a marble, becoming attached to the base of the feather. Poultry lice eat dead skin and feather dander, and can cause severe irritation and stress. Birds often stop laying. Treat with a registered poultry dust. Stick fast fleas These are typically a problem in summer and autumn. Birds can be infested with hundreds of parasites, particularly around the comb and eyes. The fleas appear as small, shiny black dots on the combs and wattles and around the eyes. These fleas remain attached and move very little, unlike most fleas. Female stick fast fleas lay eggs at night. Larvae that hatch from these eggs need deep soil to complete their development. An impervious floor under the roosting area can assist control. For further notes on stick fast fleas see Farmnote 494 Stickfast fleas- control and eradication. Treat individual birds with a registered treatment. Repeated treatment of the environment will reduce reinfestation. Pet cats and dogs can also be affected.

and a decline in egg production. Isolate affected birds and treat them, or cull them if they are old. Poultry tick Ticks leave the birds during the day and hide in crevices around the roosting area until night time. To see them it may be necessary to take a torch and check the birds after they have settled for the night. Ticks appear as small grey/black dots under the wings.

Red poultry mite

Coccidiosis

This is a very severe disease of young birds. Parasites invade and multiply in the intestinal lining, which results in bleeding into the intestine and presence of blood in the droppings. Young birds can die very quickly. Older birds tend to be more resistant. Overcrowding and damp litter predispose to infection and spread.

Worms
Stick fast ea

Mites and ticks These are blood-sucking parasites. They can cause severe irritation, loss of blood and body weight, a decrease in egg production and even death of birds, particularly young birds. They can also spread other diseases. Mites and ticks, like fleas, may spend considerable time off the host and therefore it is essential to remove and destroy rubbish in the hen house so that it can be properly cleaned and sprayed with an insecticide registered for the purpose. The most common mites in WA poultry are the scaly leg mite and the red mite. Scaly leg mite This mite occurs especially in older birds and where pen hygiene is poor. Infestation causes a scaly irregular thickening of the legs, beginning at the toes. In severe infestations the comb, wattles and neck may also be affected. It causes irritation

These are common in domestic poultry. However, unless the conditions are crowded or the birds stressed by some other condition (for example, poor nutrition), they rarely cause a serious problem.

Viral diseases

There is no satisfactory treatment for viral diseases in chickens. The seven viral diseases discussed below can be included in the vaccination regime when you buy fully vaccinated point-of-lay pullets. Day-old chicks can only be vaccinated against Mareks Disease; the other vaccinations are given later in life. Vaccination of chickens is a specialised task and should be discussed with your hatchery or pullet supplier. Newcastle Disease In WA vaccination of commercial flocks (over 1,000 birds and not including meat chickens) is compulsory. It is optional for smaller flocks. Mareks Disease Mareks disease causes tumours, paralysis and death in young birds (6 to 26 weeks old) although

they become infected in the first days of life. Vaccine must be administered in the first 24 hours of life to be effective. Infectious Laryngotracheitis and Infectious Bronchitis These viruses cause respiratory diseases and manifest by reduced egg production, coughing, mouth breathing and possibly death. Vaccine protects birds. Egg Drop Syndrome and Avian Encephalomyelitis Egg Drop Syndrome and Avian Encephalomyelitis can be transmitted through the egg and by spread from bird to bird. They cause very little illness, but egg production is severely affected for several weeks. Avian Encephalomyelitis may cause a severe brain disease and death in young chickens. Fowl Pox Fowl pox is spread by mosquitoes. Birds develop wart-like growths on the face and vent. Some strains of pox are very severe and result in lesions in the oesophagus and often death. Other strains are milder and resolve naturally.

Mycoplasmosis Mycoplasmosis is very common in poultry in the metropolitan area. It causes reduced egg production and a mild respiratory disease. It very rarely causes death unless complicated by infection with other conditions. It is difficult to control in mixed age flocks.

What to do when your chickens are sick or dying

Bacterial diseases
Fowl Cholera Fowl Cholera causes reduced egg production and increased mortality. Birds appear depressed and lose appetite for a few days prior to death. The disease may spread slowly or very rapidly throughout the flock. Stress predisposes birds to

Follow these steps: Are the birds from a reliable source and fully vaccinated? Is their nutrition and water supply adequate? Do they have enough shelter? Are the premises clean? What specific signs are the birds showing? Catch and closely examine a sick bird. Check for stick fast fleas, ticks, red and scaly leg mite. If you are unsure of the diagnosis or action, consult your private veterinarian. Department of Agriculture and Food WA veterinarians are available to investigate incidents which may be of significance to the poultry industry. The private veterinarian may refer you to the Department to discuss the case further and recommend a course of action. In some disease outbreaks autopsy of one or more birds may be required to obtain a diagnosis.

Exotic Poultry Diseases

Fowl Cholera

Fowl Cholera. Antibiotics can be used to treat this disease, but on some properties only total destocking is effective for long-term control.

The two exotic poultry diseases which are most feared in Australia are avian influenza and Newcastle disease. If your flock appears to be suffering any of the signs described below, contact the exotic animal disease emergency line on 1800 675 888. Avian Influenza Avian Influenza is widespread in wild water birds throughout the world. It is not present in Australia. The following points summarise the disease: a viral disease contagious up to 100% mortality wild birds, particularly water fowl, may be involved in spread decreased egg production (may stop totally) depressed, diarrhoea, blue combs Newcastle Disease Newcastle Disease is found in most countries, but serious disease-causing strains are not found in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The following points summarise the disease: a viral disease

Newcastle Diseasenote the drooping eyelid and comb and conjunctivitis

contagious variable mortality, up to 90% wild birds decreased egg production depressed diarrhoea, neurological signs, respiratory signs

Further reading

Animal Health Australia: National Animal Health Information System (NAHIS). Disease information sheets avian diseases. http://www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au/ Stickfast fleas: control and eradication Note: 494 Keeping chickens: Note: 493

20112907-01/12-ID10576 Copyright Western Australian Agriculture Authority, 2012 Copies of this document are available in alternative formats upon request. 3 Baron-Hay Court South Perth WA 6151 Tel: (08) 9368 3333 Email: enquiries@agric.wa.gov.au Website: www.agric.wa.gov.au

ISSN 0726-934X