Introduction to Poultry Diseases SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note

In our previous lessons, we learned how to feed and house our birds. But even with the best food, a single disease can wipe out an entire farm if the farmer is not careful.

As a poultry farmer, you must be like a nurse—always watching for “signs” that something is wrong. Most poultry diseases are caused by tiny germs like viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

Newcastle Disease

This is perhaps the most “famous” and feared poultry disease in Nigeria. It is caused by a virus and spreads very fast through the air or contaminated water.

• Signs and Symptoms:
  1. Respiratory Issues: The birds start sneezing and gasping for breath (you’ll hear a “clucking” or “rattling” sound).
  2. Twisted Neck: This is the most obvious sign. The bird’s neck twists in a strange way (torticollis).
  3. Greenish Diarrhea: Their droppings become watery and green.
  4. Sudden Death: You might just wake up and find many birds dead with no warning.
• Prevention and Control:
  1. Vaccination: This is the only way to stop it. Use the “Lasota” or “NDV-i2” vaccines.
  2. Bio-security: Don’t allow strangers into your pen.
  3. Note: Since it is a virus, there is no cure. If they get it, you can only give vitamins to help the ones that aren’t too sick yet.

Coccidiosis

This is caused by tiny parasites (protozoa) that live in the soil or in wet litter. It is the “disease of dirty floors.”

• Signs and Symptoms:
  1. Bloody Droppings: This is the “red flag” for Coccidiosis. If you see blood in the bird’s waste, this is it.
  2. Huddling: Birds look cold, droopy, and huddle together even when it’s hot.
  3. Weight Loss: They stop eating and become very thin very quickly.
• Prevention and Control:
  1. Dry Litter: Keep the wood shavings on the floor dry! If water spills, pack the wet parts out immediately.
  2. Coccidiostats: These are medicines added to the feed or water to kill the parasites.
  3. Hygiene: Wash the drinkers every single morning.

Fowl Pox

This is another viral disease, but it usually moves slower than Newcastle. It is often spread by mosquitoes biting the birds.

• Signs and Symptoms:
  1. Sores/Warts: You will see small, painful-looking bumps or scabs on the “naked” parts of the bird—the comb, the wattles, and around the eyes.
  2. Loss of Vision: If the sores are near the eyes, the bird may go blind and be unable to find its food.
  3. Difficult Breathing: Sometimes sores grow inside the mouth (this is called the “wet form”).
• Prevention and Control:
  1. Vaccination: Fowl pox vaccine is usually given via a “wing-web” prick.
  2. Mosquito Control: Clear the bushes around your poultry house and make sure there is no standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
  3. Treatment: Like Newcastle, there is no cure for the virus, but you can rub “Gentian Violet” (the blue/purple medicine) on the sores to help them dry up.

Summary Table of Poultry Diseases

General Rules for a Healthy Farm

If you want to keep your farm “Disease-Free,” follow the “3 S’s”:

1. Sanitation: Scrub the feeders and drinkers. Remove wet poop from the floor.
2. Separation: If you see one sick bird, isolate it immediately! Move it to a separate cage far away from the healthy ones.
3. Strictness: Don’t buy “cheap” birds from a source you don’t trust. Start with healthy chicks from a reputable hatchery.

Class Activity / Review

1. Detective Work: If you walk into your pen and see red/bloody spots on the floor, which disease do you suspect? What is the first thing you should check on the floor?
2. Why is it that we can’t “cure” Newcastle disease with antibiotics once it starts?
3. Homework: Go home and check if there are any bushes or stagnant water near where people keep chickens. Explain to your parents or neighbors why this might cause Fowl Pox.