Range Production and Bird Health

1. Range Production and Bird Health F. Dustan Clark, D.V.M., Ph.D. Extension Poultry Health Veterinarian

2. Poultry Health Status Determination • Disease • any departure from the normal state of health • Normal • Many Diseases Produce Similar Signs • What To Look For

3. Observations • Facilities • Records • Birds

4. Facilities • Signs of outside influence • Rodents, wildlife, insects • Feed and water sources • Number and availability • Clean feed and water • Litter or ground • Roosts and manure

5. Records • Acceptable parameters • Measurable data • Past History • Current Information • What are the birds doing ? • How long? • How many affected? • When did it first happen? • Has it happened before? • What has been done? (Changes) • Tests Deaths • Treatments

6. Birds • Behavior • Flock • Individual • Examples • Eating, drinking, interactions

7. Examination • Preliminary • done while observing birds • Complete • must catch bird • systematic examination of anatomic systems • checking for variation from normal

8. Systematically check all anatomic systems for variance from normal • Discharges • Accumulations • Use • Abnormal sounds, odors, colors • Swellings • Soiling of feathers • Loss • Skeletal • Respiratory • Plumage • Circulatory • Eyes, ears, nostrils • Gastrointestinal • Feces

9. Learn Symptoms of Disease • Increased mortality • No appetite • Diarrhea • Coughing • Lameness • Depression • Decreased production • Unusual behaviors • Blisters, swellings • High number of ill animals • Unthriftiness

10. Poultry Diseases • Numerous Diseases in Poultry • Comparisons • Organic Chicken vs Commercial is limited • Some Diseases and/or Problems are more common • Limitations on Therapy

11. Unique Problems • Predation • Lack of Environmental Control

12. Several birds killed Mauled but not eaten Killed by small bites-neatly piled,some heads gone c. Heads/crops eaten. 1-2 birds killed mauled, abdomen eaten Deep marks on head and neck, some meat eaten 1 bird gone feathers left Chicks killed, abdomen eaten, lingering smell Several gone-no clues Dogs Mink, weasel Raccoon Opossum Owl Fox/coyote Skunk Human Clues To Identifying Predators From: J. Berry. Predators: Thieves in the night. OSU/CES Bull #8204

13. Bacterial Diseases • Fowl CholeraPasteurella • Mycoplasma MG MS • Coryza Hemophilus paragallinarum • Botulism Botulinum toxin • GangrenousDermatitisClostridium perfringens

14. Fowl Cholera Mycoplasma MG MS Coryza Botulism Dermatitis Swollen face, wattles, sinuses Pneumonia, Sudden death, swollen joints, torticollis Coughing, swollen face and sinuses. Bubbles in eye, sticky eye discharge Swollen joints and/or footpad Sticky eyelids, odor, rales, nasal discharge Limberneck, flaccid paralysis Blue.black skin lesions, high mortality

15. Dermatitis Dermatitis MS Coryza Mycoplasma Botulism Cholera

16. Viral Diseases • Fowl Pox Pox virus • Laryngotracheitis Herpes virus • Infectious Bronchitis Corona virus • Newcastle Paramyxovirus • Mareks Disease Herpes virus • Avian Influenza Orthomyxovirus (Influenza)

17. Fowl Pox Laryngotracheitis Infectious Bronchitis Newcastle Avian Paramyxo Exotic Newcastle Mareks Avian Influenza (AI) Low Path AI High Path AI Blisters, scabs,skin growths. Difficult breathing and swallowing, growth in mouth, death Cough, blood on feathers, mouth, beak, Difficult breathing, death Egg drop, cough, sneeze, poor egg quality Egg drop, soft shell eggs, chirping, cough (high mortality, diarrhea, CNS, depression, nasal discharge) Paralysis of legs, wings, neck, birds less than 6 months High mortality, hemorrhages, similar to Exotic Newcastle

18. Mareks Bronchitis Pox Mareks AI LT Pox END Newcastle IB/ND

19. Internal Parasites • Coccidia Eimeria sp. • Blackhead Histomonas • Tapeworms • Gapeworms Syngamus • Threadworms Capillaria sp. • Roundworms Ascarids

20. Coccidia Blackhead Gapes Tapes Rounds Hair/Thread Weight loss, huddling, blood in feces, mortality in young. Unthrifty. Weight loss, unthrifty, yellow diarrhea Gasping, open mouth Weight loss, See in feces Weight loss, unthrifty, ruffled Diarrhea, Unthrifty, thickened crop.

21. Tapes Coccidia Hairworms Blackhead Rounds

22. External Parasites • Lice • Mites • Skin • Leg

23. Lice Numerous species Mites Northern Red Scaly Leg Feather damage, skin damage, feather picking, irritation Feather and skin damage, feathers look oily, anemia, feather loss. Northern stays on bird Feather loss, picking, anemia, restless at night, skin damage. Red gets on bird at night Thick dry white or yellow crusts on leg scales.

24. Scaly leg mite Northern Fowl Mite Red Mite Louse

25. Therapy • May be limited • Many antibiotics are unavailable • Most vaccines for meat poultry are given early in life • 18 days of incubation • Day 1

26. Biosecurity

27. Biosecurity Greek: Bios - “Life” Security - Protection

28. Effects of Disease • Decreased reproduction • Decreased productivity • Increased mortality • Decreased cash-flow • Quarantines • Market loss • Flock loss

29. How Much Biosecurity is Needed? • No one plan • Use common sense • Risk of each potential source of disease • Spend more money on treatment (and production losses) than prevention would have cost

30. Sources of Pathogens • Introduction of diseased or carrier animals • Clothing or person of visitors • Introduction of contaminated materials (fomites)- feeds, forages • Inappropriate disposal of carcasses • Contaminated water supplies • Fence line contact • Vehicles • Wildlife, rodents, wild birds, insects, pets • Air-borne fomites • Vertical transmission

31. Biosecurity

32. Risk Accepted • Personal decision • Talk to veterinarian, county agent, banker, spouse

33. Control PointsTwo General Areas 1. Farm Facilities (Location, Structures, Layout) 2. Farm Operational Procedures

34. Farm Location • What roads are nearby ? • Distance to other facilities • Distance to other animal facilities

35. Farm Layout and Construction • Road type • Type and condition of fences • Buildings and pens • Feed bins • Animal/Bird and waste disposal

36. Farm Operational Procedures Greatest impact on Biosecurity Easy and Quick to change

37. Biosecurity Practices • Control exposure to diseased or carrier animals • Control visitor access • Ensure that fomites (objects) are clean • Dispose of carcasses appropriately • Check feed and water contamination • Control fence line contact • Control exposure to vermin • Address vertical transmission • Air borne contamination • Other practices you discover

38. Controlling Exposure • Purchase from known health status herds • Isolate new or returning animals for at least 2 weeks • 30 days is best • Test new additions for disease as appropriate • Keep records • Veterinary examinations

39. Protect Poultry by Raising their Resistance • Vaccination program • Parasite control program • Reduce stress • Nutrition

40. Second greatest threat May carry disease organisms May be necessary May bring equipment Restrict Access to animals Require identification Keep facilities & gates locked Have visitors sign a log Change clothes, use coveralls, boot covers Wash hands and disinfect 48 hr min. quarantine (Internationals) Visitor or Traffic Control

41. Farm Entrance • One secured entrance • Biosecurity Sign

42. Sanitation and Disinfection • Keep farm clean • Boot bath (scrub brush and disinfectant) • Boots for on farm only • Coveralls • Spray car/truck tires • Clean floor mats • Wash (CD) all incoming equipment • Best to not borrow equipment

43. Coveralls, Hat, and Boots

44. Clean and Disinfect Equipment

45. Foot Baths • Change periodically • Use appropriate disinfectant • Clean boots before use

46. Appropriate Disinfectant for the Job Commercial disinfectants Bleach 3 parts to 2 parts water

47. Pest Management • Sources of Disease • Rodents, flies, wildlife, animals, etc. • Minimize contact • Control measures should be a part of general routine

48. Rodent Control

49. Clean feed and water • Water available at all times • Clean water • Prevent rodent contamination of feed • Remove contaminated feed

50. Animal Waste Storage and Disposal Avoid contamination of environment and animals