Breeding broilers is a fairly common phenomenon, so every farmer involved in this type of activity should be prepared for changes in the health of chickens. In this regard, a popular topic will be discussed below, why broilers wheeze and sneeze and how to deal with it. Sometimes serious complications are hidden behind the seemingly usual wheezing. So what to do if broilers suddenly wheeze?
Broilers sneeze and wheeze
What does periodic wheezing and coughing say?
Wheezing and coughing do not represent a special disease, but are only symptoms or signs of an infection entering the body. This means that treating cough without eliminating its cause is absolutely useless. Hoarse breathing is accompanied by specific sounds, and also complicates the process of breathing chickens and broilers. When broilers sneeze and wheeze, there is a risk of contracting diseases such as:
- bronchitis of any stage of severity;
- mycoplasmosis;
- colibacillosis;
- common cold.
You can learn more about what each disease is dangerous, as well as about the reasons for their occurrence and methods of treatment. Regardless of what the cause of the cough or wheezing is, it is important to transplant sick broilers to another room in order to prevent the development of an epidemic that can lead to the death of all individuals.
Broiler colds
A disease such as the common cold is the most common not only among humans. A bird can become infected with it or “catch” it after a banal hypothermia, which is often the case. In addition, the reason may lie in drafts, which very quickly destroy broilers. Despite the fact that the disease is not fatal, chickens quickly spread it among themselves. The main symptoms of a cold infection in a chicken coop include:
- the occurrence of unexpected tearfulness of the eyes;
- accumulation of mucus in the nose;
- difficulty breathing due to inflammation.
After that, the chickens are broilers and sneeze. If you do not provide them with timely help, this can lead to the progression and spread of a catarrhal disease, which contributes to the appearance of more serious problems. Treatment of an early stage of a cold is not difficult for a person, but contacting a veterinarian will not be superfluous. The specialist will be able to verify the presence of a problem, and also tell you how to treat the disease at home.
About infectious bronchitis
Sneezing and coughing not only accompany colds, but also represent the main symptoms of bronchitis. With infectious bronchitis, the chicks' breathing is quite heavy, and the cough is frequent. In addition, there is irritation of the mucous membranes, filling with mucus in the nasopharynx, as a result of which broiler chickens are forced to breathe through the mouth. A distinctive feature of the disease is a specific wheezing, which is accompanied by bubbling sounds. Determination of the nature of sounds can only be made by a specialist. A symptom may also be a decrease in egg productivity.
It is appropriate to treat bronchitis only in adulthood, when it comes to young animals, it would be more correct to plant them until they recover. The infection spreads very quickly: the virus reaches the lungs in less than one day. The infection is transmitted by air.
The presence of bronchopneumonia in broilers
A disease such as bronchopneumonia does not affect broilers so often, but is considered quite dangerous and fatal. The disease is not fatal, but in the case of young chickens, it can be fatal. If treatment was not started on time, then they can begin to die in a couple of days. As for the older birds, they have some resistance. To prevent illness, you must:
- protect birds from rain, if there is an aviary, make a canopy;
- to protect birds from penetration of strong wind into the room;
- build a quality aviary protected by dense material.
The main symptoms are immediately visible: the sick bird breathes very often, and its wheezing is wet. In addition to the fact that broilers often sneeze and wheeze, rhinitis and cough are observed. Bronchopneumonia is accompanied by a lack of appetite and lethargy. Broiler chickens breathe heavily through the mouth, not showing activity. The presence of the latest symptoms suggests that the disease has reached the last stage.
Mycoplasmosis
If broilers sneeze, there may be a risk of mycoplasmosis. The main feature of the disease is that it affects almost all types of rural utensils, so anyone who is sick can spread the disease to neighbors. The symptoms of mycoplasmosis are also easily recognized. The chickens wheeze heavily due to a serious damage to the respiratory organs, which distinguishes the disease from milder infections.
The cause of the disease can be both genetic and related to the use of contaminated water or through the air. Infection is instant, and the strength of the infection is so great that it impairs the functioning of the reproductive organs, which leads to a decrease in immunity and weakness of birds. Therefore, having noticed the frequent sneezing of broilers, it is necessary to urgently call a doctor in order to prescribe treatment and prevent a fatal outcome.
About colibacillosis in chickens
Colibacillosis can only develop in chickens less than 2 weeks old. Symptoms are similar to colds in that birds cough, sneeze and wheeze. Experts identify 2 forms of the disease: acute and chronic. Colibacillosis is accompanied by a short incubation period lasting several days. Without starting treatment on time, there is a transformation of the acute form into a chronic one. A distinctive characteristic of the disease is a slight increase in temperature and an increase in thirst, although there is no appetite. Chicks decrease in weight, after which they completely lose activity. It is not difficult to determine the chronic form of colibacillosis:
- birds become lethargic and inactive;
- their appearance is getting worse;
- diarrhea is possible;
- they refuse to feed, preferring frequent visits to drinking bowls;
- breathing becomes much heavier after 15-20 days, and the appearance of severe wheezing is also observed;
- sometimes a crunch in the chest is heard;
- some broilers suffer from paralysis and seizures.
After the last symptoms appear, the broiler cannot be saved from death.
Treating Coughing Chickens
It is impossible to start treatment of chickens without setting the correct diagnosis, since it is strictly forbidden to do this yourself, it is important to use the services of a good veterinarian on time. So, what tools help treat broilers for the previously described ailments?
- When treating colds and bronchitis, you can use folk remedies, in particular, herbal decoctions, with which you need to properly drink the chickens. The use of medicinal inhalations, as well as the treatment of rooms and chicken coops with the help of smoke bombs with essential oils, is suitable. If the chickens get sick with a cold, you can also cook nettle decoctions. It is also important to take care of the chicken coop. It is necessary to check whether there are drafts there, whether the air is too humid, whether all standards are observed. If everything is in order, then perhaps the time has come to insulate the walls and floor. It is recommended to treat broiler chickens for infectious bronchitis with disinfectants, for example, Lugol's solution. For the treatment and elimination of bronchopneumonia, only antibiotics are used according to an individual scheme.
- If the chickens become ill with mycoplasmosis or colibacillosis, it is necessary to immediately exclude the possibility of using folk remedies, stopping at a course of antibiotics. Mycoplasmosis is treated with Streptomycin, Spiramycin, Lincomycin, Erythromycin. Each remedy is strong enough, because they are not used for young chickens. Young growth is treated with Tiamulin, the only safer drug. It will be appropriate to add medicines directly to food. To do this, it is enough to add only 20 g of drugs to 100 kg of feed. The duration of such a course should not be less than 5 days. When the course of taking the drugs is over, the chickens are shown to the doctor, who prescribes ways to restore productivity. Tipozin is often prescribed to increase egg production.
- To combat colibacillosis, the administration of Biomycin, Syntomycin, Terramycin is prescribed. The treatment can be compiled by the veterinarian individually, using drugs other than the listed antibiotics. The usual treatment takes 5 days. Repetition of the disease involves taking the same means that helped initially, or using a completely new scheme.
Remember that antibiotic treatment of young chickens should be supervised by a specialist. Very often the body can be so weakened that it cannot withstand the stress of medication.
Prevention of disease
A comfortable and cozy chicken coop is what you need to prevent diseases. More than one video has been filmed about how the premises for chickens look and are equipped. Firstly, the chicken coop should not have any gaps that would allow moist raw air and draft to pass through, as well as cold gusts of wind. If possible, the room should be heated using appropriate heating devices.
It is important that all necessary sanitary standards are observed regularly. We must not forget about the timely change of the litter, about checking its condition. Having felt a draft, it is necessary to start searching for the cause of the problem and its elimination. It is important to pay due attention to ensuring good ventilation, which would not cause drafts during the ventilation of the room.
Chickens, especially young ones, should be regularly vaccinated against the most popular and other diseases. Thanks to vaccination, it is possible to strengthen the immune system, which will help minimize the appearance of even the most dangerous infection. When buying broilers, it’s important to check if the birds have been vaccinated. A second procedure is not required.
The last preventive measure is to maintain constant control over the well-being of birds. You cannot throw a chicken coop for several days. It is better to pay attention to broilers daily, so as not to spend money on treatment later. To notice deteriorating health, you can simply observe the food and fluid intake of birds, the frequency of going to the toilet, and possible changes in behavior. If you wish, you can saturate the feed with mineral and vitamin supplements, having obtained permission from your doctor in advance.
About disinfection
Disinfection of a chicken coop is what needs to be done immediately after wheezing in chickens. This is important because of the ability of some types of bacteria to exist in the environment, which can subsequently lead to re-disease. Before starting processing, you should think about how to move all living creatures to any other room that has the minimum requirements for vital activity. Only then can you start washing the chicken coop and treating it with special preparations for disinfection.
Disinfection is carried out both with chemicals that are quite toxic and organic. In the case of the first, the chickens are started after the insecticides have completely weathered, in the second, this can be done after the end of the procedures. It is not worth using traditional medicine and non-traditional disinfectants, because they are not able to provide the necessary protection after an epidemic.
The owner of the chickens needs to take care of their own protection. In no case should you neglect protective equipment for hands, skin, respiratory tract, mucous membranes. The best option would be to work with gloves and protective clothing. Even organic preparations should not be allowed to come into contact with the skin in order to prevent skin damage.
Treatment of sneezing and wheezing is a mandatory and necessary procedure, because sometimes the absence of the necessary measures leads to the death of birds. Having examined in detail how and how to treat chickens at home, you can not be afraid to lose your favorite birds.