Pheasants can be exposed to various infectious, viral and invasive diseases, which can lead to a reduction in the number of the entire population. Each poultry breeder should know what symptoms signal a certain disease in order to timely eliminate the disease and cure the birds.
Non-communicable diseases
Non-infectious diseases of pheasants are dangerous only for individual birds, since they arise not because of a virus or bacteria, but because of unsatisfactory conditions of keeping and feeding. At the same time, some non-communicable diseases can cause a decrease in egg laying and meat productivity of pheasants.
Goiter blockage
The disease develops when the passage from the goiter to the stomach is blocked. Typically, this pathology occurs due to overfeeding, feeding the bird with dry food. Occasionally, a bird accidentally swallows foreign objects. Strong tension leads to the fact that the goiter can not cope with its functions, and upon palpation, its hardening is noticeable. Lack of lethargy in the bird, her appetite disappears and a strong thirst appears.
To fix the problem, try pushing the stuck item into your stomach by massaging the goiter. If this cannot be done, an operation cannot be dispensed with. Call a veterinarian, he will provide professional help - he will open the goiter and free it from foreign bodies.
Frostbite
During frostbite, the extremities swell strongly in birds, itching occurs. This leads to the fact that the pheasant pecks the limb to the bone, which causes severe bleeding. Vast leg areas die off in birds.
Reliable protection against the influence of low temperatures will help prevent frostbite of birds in the aviary in winter. Move birds with frostbite to a warm room. But with a slight difference in temperature inside and out. Frostbite the limbs with oxytetracycline ointment, fat or petroleum jelly.
Runny nose
Runny nose is a common disease that pheasants encounter. Observation of the bird will help to determine the common cold - in infected individuals frequent attacks of sneezing and active secretion of mucus from the nostrils are manifested.
The neglected forms of the disease lead to the sticking of plumage near the waxen, in this place small elevations form, which eventually burst and bleed. The animal rubs its beak on protruding surfaces, begins to wave its head and breathe heavily. The cause of the common cold is a sharp hypothermia or drafts in the house.
Initially eliminate the cause of the common cold. Pour warm water into the drinkers and add vitamins or antibacterial drugs to it.
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is an unpleasant ailment that occurs for various reasons, including overpopulation of the house, lack of food, excessive lighting, violation of the regime. Pheasants peck and eat eggs, inflict wounds on each other on the head, neck, legs, in the area of the cloaca.
Several actions will help get rid of the disease: treat the wounds with antiseptics, resettle the most aggressive individuals.
Oviposition delay
Delayed oviposition often occurs in laying hens in the spring. Birds suffer from this ailment during the week. The outcome is fatal. Layers suffering from delayed egg laying often clog into the corners of the house, do not want to go for a walk.
You can identify the ailment by litter with signs of bleeding, tension in the abdomen (when feeling). The reason for this problem is the lack of vitamins, the formation of large eggs, hypothermia.
Warm baths, massage of the abdominal wall, lubrication of the cloaca with petroleum jelly will help to cope with the problem. For prophylaxis, it is recommended to keep birds in a warm room, to provide balanced feeding to laying hens.
Emphysema
The disease lies in the fact that the pheasant in different parts of the body appears swelling, which easily move under the skin when pressed with your fingers. If the blisters are punctured, air escapes from the holes. The disease is accompanied by heavy breathing of the bird, minimal mobility, refusal to feed. The cause of the disease is a mechanical rupture of the wall of the air sac.
Limit the bird's mobility during treatment: put it in a tight cage and fix the wings with a bandage. Repeated puncturing of swelling and sprinkling of sore spots by using antiseptic agents will help to overcome the disease.
Cloacite
This is an inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the cloaca. The first symptoms are observed when the nature of the litter changes. The reason for the development of cloacite is the consumption of feed, which is hard to digest by the gastrointestinal tract, delayed egg formation, excessive amounts of gravel and sand, and the ingestion of a foreign object in the digestive tract. Birds become passive, depressed, thirst and shortness of breath are manifested, there is a liquid or condensed stool in the form of lumps.
To relieve pheasants from cloacite, instill 1-2 drops of castor, olive or paraffin oil in the beak. Also add a solution of Carlsbad or Glauber's salt to the water at a rate of 1 to 200.
Dermatitis
Often, pheasants with injuries, bruises and fights receive damage and inflammation of the skin. Such injuries are rarely treatable - the animal constantly pecks the affected area, which leads to irritation. An unhealthy area of the skin begins to redden and thicken, and a brown or gray-yellow crust forms on it. The bird is prone to tearing feathers on the affected area. In such places, bleeding occurs.
Treat small wounds with ferric chloride, burn with a lapis pencil or tincture of iodine. It is recommended to periodically lubricate the affected area with an emulsion of synthomycin. At the same time give the animal vitamin and antiallergic drugs.
If this does not produce any results, be sure to call a veterinarian who will conduct a bacteriological examination for the presence of causative agents of colibacteriosis or staphylococcosis.
Gout
Gout in pheasants is an unpleasant non-contagious disease during which uncomfortable sensations appear when walking. The animal also suffers from an intestinal upset. The reason for this is the deposition of salts as a result of impaired renal function. You may notice that the birds refuse to eat, drink a lot, they have liquid droppings, and round nodules form on the joints of the foot and claws.
Treatment consists in opening the nodules and eliminating their contents. Drink pheasants with a solution of drinking soda 2-3%.
Injuries: fractures, sprains, bruises
A damaged limb often hangs, and when felt, muscle breaks are noticeable. With open fractures, bleeding can occur, sometimes the limb rests solely on the skin. During molting, birds are especially prone to fractures, as the amount of calcium in the tubular bones decreases.
Often, fractures of the toes heal without any intervention, but often the fractures do not heal together, which causes the fingers to bend. With a complete fracture of the extremities, it is advisable to get rid of such a bird.
In case of fractures of the lower part of the extremities, use the fixation tires, a plaster cast, and fasten the bones with a pin.
Infectious diseases
Infectious diseases and their treatment require a thorough examination of pheasants and an analysis of their symptoms. So the poultry breeder will be able to accurately determine the diagnosis and proceed to the correct treatment. In certain cases, it is recommended that you immediately seek the help of an experienced veterinarian.
Pasteurellosis
This is a dangerous bacterial infection caused by pathogens that enter the bird's body, which leads to septicemia. Sick individuals suffer from fever, damage to the mucous membranes of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract.
A characteristic symptom of the disease is severe diarrhea. In infected birds, the lungs become inflamed, foamy discharge comes out of the beak. Usually this leads to the death of birds, from severe dehydration, after a few days.
Treatment of sick individuals is practically meaningless. When the first symptoms appear, veterinarians recommend getting rid of diseased birds. The rest of the population for prophylaxis is drunk with broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Smallpox
Sick birds, people and insects can become the cause of smallpox infection. This is a dangerous and contagious infection; when it occurs in sick individuals, papular rashes form on the skin and mucous membranes. Damage to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract can cause difficulty breathing. Often, the disease affects the eyes of birds, which is why they become blind. Infected animals become depleted and die.
This disease is not treated. In some cases, experts recommend antibiotics to water birds for prevention. Vaccination is considered the best preventative measure.
Aspergillosis
The cause of aspergillosis is the spread of fungi in the feed, water, litter. This is a disease that can occur in acute and chronic form. Infection occurs through the respiratory tract. The incubation period lasts from 3 to 10 days. Affected individuals die on day 2-6. Most often, young birds undergo aspergillosis.
With the disease, the birds become shaky gait, convulsions, lethargy, paralysis occur. Sick individuals practically do not move, often sneeze, stretch their heads up, breathe heavily. The main symptoms are foamy fluid from the mouth and nose, digestive upset.
The treatment is not carried out. A control measure is quarantine of sick birds with further slaughter. For prevention, the room should be disinfected using sodium hydroxide, formaldehyde, Virkonom-S. Also feed the birds only with fresh and high-quality food, monitor the purity of the water and disinfect the incubator more often.
Coccidosis
Coccidosis is a common disease caused by coccidia parasites. Often birds suffer from illness in summer and spring. Young and adult birds are exposed. With the defeat, individuals suffer from a depressed state, lethargy, loss of appetite. Digestive upsets with bloody diarrhea and ruffled feathers also appear. The cause of coccidosis is keeping birds in a cramped space, irregular cleaning of the house, contaminated water and food.
For prevention, drink birds with Koktsiprodin for two days, administer Baikos, Avatek, and regularly disinfect the house and equipment. As a fight, use the drugs Furazolidone, Furacilin, Norsulfazole.
Botulism
This is an acute infectious disease of pheasants that provokes damage to the nervous system. Usually botulism are birds living in the natural environment. But in isolated cases, the disease can be caught by individuals living in industrial enterprises. Symptoms are noticeable within a few hours after consumption of the infected feed. Sick individuals suffer from diarrhea, paralysis of the limbs and neck.
With botulism, the death rate is high, especially with a high concentration of bacteria in the feed. There are no methods of struggle. For prevention, it is necessary to control the quality and freshness of the feed.
Scab (favus)
This is a fungal disease transmitted through contact through wounds in the skin. The incubation period lasts for three weeks. The cause of the disease is contact with a sick bird or infected equipment. On the fingers of the birds, crusts of a gray-white hue appear, crusts on the eyelids and other areas where feathers are absent are also noticeable. Animals are exhausted, scabs appear in them.
Treatment of scab consists in treating wounds with fungicidal ointments, iodine glycerol. Also, give animals the drug Griseofulvin, fortifying drugs and vitamins.
For prevention, regularly disinfect the room and equipment, timely move the diseased bird to quarantine, and irradiate with ultraviolet light.
Marek's disease
This is a contagious viral infection that affects young birds under 5 months of age more often. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets in direct contact with a sick individual or carrier. The cause of the disease is dirty equipment and bedding. The following symptoms appear: lethargy, weakness, loss of appetite, difficulty in movement, lameness. In severe forms, pheasants suffer from paralysis of the paws or blindness.
There is no cure for Marek's disease. Get rid of sick birds. To prevent the spread of the disease, observe the conditions of the birds and take preventive measures. Move newly acquired birds to quarantine to identify sick animals. Also do not forget about vaccination of pheasants.
Newcastle disease (pseudo-plague)
This is a common viral disease. When the virus is damaged, the nervous system of birds suffers, which leads to severe encephalitis, paralysis and seizures. Ill pheasants stop moving, they lose their appetite, diarrhea develops, and mucous discharge from the beak appears. In individuals, breathing is difficult, they throw their head back.
There is no cure for this disease. When the first symptoms of sick pheasants appear, discard. Be sure to carry out a continuous or final disinfection of the premises and equipment. Before starting new birds on the farm, be sure to quarantine them first. A preventive measure is the timely vaccination of birds.
Infectious laryngotracheitis
Viral disease transmitted by contact of healthy and sick birds. Ill individuals can carry the virus for up to two years and put healthy pheasants at risk. When the disease in animals, breathing is difficult and the general condition is inhibited. On the mucous membrane of the larynx and pharynx, fibrinous films can be seen that can cause choking. Birds lose their appetite, decrease their productivity, swell their eyelids and watery eyes. A large number of individuals die.
Separate diseased birds immediately from healthy individuals, monitor their condition. Drink sick individuals with antibiotics. Prevention of the development of the disease will help vaccination, which helps maintain immunity throughout the year.
Spirochetosis
Spirochetosis is a dangerous disease that proceeds in an acute form. The cause of the disease is the spirochete bacterium. There is a disease due to non-compliance with sanitary standards, contact with infected birds. The incubation period lasts 4-10 days. The disease is accompanied by fever, indigestion, cramps, bluish mucous membranes, paralysis, fever. Sick individuals refuse food, their feathers are tousled.
Treatment consists of intramuscular administration of arsenic in a proportion of 0.2-0.5 mg per 1 kg of weight. Also use drugs such as Novarsenol, Chlortetracycline, Osarsol. Enter antibiotics: Disulfan, Penicillin, Morphocycline.
Respiratory Mycoplasmosis
Respiratory mycoplasmosis is a disease that affects the airways of chicks from 2 to 4 months of age. Occasionally adult birds suffer. The reason for the development of the disease is an increased amount of dust in the house, sudden temperature jumps, poor ventilation, dampness, and an unbalanced diet. Birds lag behind in growth, the egg production rate decreases. Ill pheasants refuse to eat, they have noticeable swelling of the larynx, and discharge from the nose.
For prevention, maintain an optimal microclimate in the house, follow sanitary and hygienic rules, and organize full-fledged feeding for the animals. Treatment is carried out by using tetracycline antibiotics and Furazolidone with a message to the veterinary service.
Salmonellosis
Salmonella is a dangerous disease caused by the Salmonella microbe. The cause of the disease is contact with an infected bird, unsanitary conditions, overpopulation or dirty water. The incubation period lasts 3-5 days. In animals, the gastrointestinal tract is affected. The disease can be accompanied by pneumonia and arthritis. You can identify the disease by symptoms such as: drowsiness, conjunctivitis, lethargy, gluing down in the cloaca zone, impaired coordination of movements, and an upset in the digestive tract.
To combat salmonellosis, destroy sick birds, disinfect the room and equipment, treat the floor with slaked lime. For prophylaxis, use antibiotics, giving them to birds that have been in contact with diseased individuals. Timely vaccination, spraying of bacteriophages is also important. Keep track of the quality of feed and water.
Colic bacteria
The development of the disease occurs when pathogenic bacteria of the genus E. coli are ingested with food. Young birds are often exposed. The infection usually manifests as severe sepsis. Sick birds weaken, move little, they lose their appetite. Colicobacteriosis is also accompanied by dehydration and severe diarrhea. The death rate is very high.
With the timely appointment of antibacterial drugs - a high chance to save animals. Veterinarians prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics. Sick individuals are isolated from the rest of the livestock. Process and disinfect the house, all equipment, change the bedding for birds in time.
Psittacosis (ornithosis)
Pheasants often experience psittacosis, a viral infection transmitted from sick birds by airborne droplets, also through contaminated feed and water. Sick birds become sleepy, move a little. With ornithosis, an indigestion in the form of diarrhea is rarely observed. The mucous membrane of the eyes and air sacs are affected. A high percentage of deaths, especially among young pheasants.
Treatment is not possible. Immediately transfer sick animals to the quarantine room. Destroy sick birds, because they are dangerous to humans. Not developed and vaccination against the disease. The only preventive method is the timely elimination of diseased birds. It is also important to observe animal welfare standards.
Parasites
When parasites enter the body of birds, animals often suffer from digestive upsets. In order to properly treat a bird, it is important to determine the type of parasite that caused diarrhea from the outset. In addition, parasites can cause a change in the appearance of pheasants, for example, when infected with ticks.
Poohooters
Poohoedov are small insects similar to lice. Parasites settle on feathers of birds. Carried by mosquitoes and midges - parasite larvae attach to the wings of dipterans. Pheasants usually become infected during the warmer months. A healthy bird is able to constantly clean its plumage from pests by bathing in sand baths.
If pheasants have lice, add sulfur powder and ash to the sand bath. In case of severe infection, it is advisable to individually treat the birds with a mixture of drugs: for one adult individual - 3-4 g of feverfew, 2-4 g of sevine 1-2%, 10 g of desinsectalin.
Helminthiasis (worms)
Often, pheasants are affected by helminths such as cestodes, roundworms, sigmoidus trachea, heterokisy, trichostrene-gilius, capillaries.
Specialists who examined birds for the presence of helminthiasis help fight helminths. Isolate sick individuals from healthy pheasants in a timely manner. For prevention, do not allow crowding of birds, hypothermia of young pheasants. Provide animals with a varied and nutritious diet with the inclusion of a wide spectrum of vitamins and antibiotics in the diet.
Grow young animals separately from adults. Keep your houses clean and sanitize them regularly.
Tick-borne respiratory damage
The reason for the development of this disease in pheasants is mites that settle in the trachea, abdominal air sacs and bronchi. With the disease, birds suffer from coughing and shortness of breath, weight loss. Sometimes birds die due to suffocation.
To remove ticks from the plumage will help various drugs that enter the respiratory system when cleaning feathers. Treat a sick bird regularly - once a week. Treat pheasants in contact with a sick bird once. The best tool for combating ticks is dust 5%.
Knemidocoptosis (scabies)
Scabies is a common disease among pheasants. The cause of the development of the disease are ticks. At first, the bird's head is affected: from the angle of the beak all expanding gray-white overlays stretch. Gradually, they completely spread to the beak, waxen and eye area. The head is balding. Subsequently, the disease spreads to the limbs, cesspool and the whole body.
The treatment consists in cleansing the affected area of the skin from crusts by using tweezers and applying an ointment - birch tar or Neguven solution with a concentration of 0.15%. To maintain the vitality of the animal, add vitamin preparations to drinking water.
Histomoniasis
Food becomes the cause of infection, and the disease also spreads through insects and earthworms. The incubation period lasts 2-4 weeks, after the birds weaken, the plumage becomes matte, and the litter turns yellow. This leads to exhaustion of the body, blackening of the skin on the head.
For treatment, use the drug Engeptin for two weeks - 0.1% per 1 kg of feed. The use of furazolidone at the rate of 0.04% per 1 kg of feed during the same period is also recommended.
Hypovitaminosis (lack of vitamins and minerals)
Pheasants often suffer from hypovitaminosis - a lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet. Also, problems arise when there is a shortage or an excess of protein. To cope with the disease, you need to know how to increase or decrease these substances.
Hypovitaminosis A
With the disease, the birds show weakness in the legs, they lose weight, suffer from conjunctivitis and stagger when walking. During treatment, give the animal a few drops of vitamin A concentrate inside for two to three weeks. Especially in vitamin A, birds need a breeding season. For preventive purposes, include in the diet 8% of herbal flour from legumes.
Hypovitaminosis D
With hypovitaminosis D, birds lose their ability to normal bone formation. Small individuals suffer from rickets, adults from osteomalacia. Rickets is identified by growth retardation, curvature of the limbs, softness of beak and bones, weakness. Pigmentation and feather formation are also impaired. Osteomalacia is manifested in severe limb weakness, birds lay eggs with or without soft shells.
To prevent rickets, feed the birds nettle, fish oil, grass and bone meal, egg shells. It is also recommended to irradiate small individuals with PRK and ECV lamps. In case of illness, give the chicks a mixture of vitamins A (20 thousand IE) and D (10 thousand IE), dissolved in 1 ml of water. 10 chicks consume 50 ml of the mixture.
Hypovitaminosis N
The disease manifests itself in the form of dermatitis, affecting the head and limbs of the animal. Pheasant is difficult to move around. Young growth suffers from a slowdown in susceptibility and growth. For prophylaxis, it is recommended to feed animals with meat and bone meal and fish meal, green leguminous plants, and yeast.
Hypovitaminosis E
Small pheasants aged 20–40 days often suffer from vitamin E deficiency. In animals, coordination of movement is disturbed, weakness, convulsive cramps are observed. As a preventive measure, give individuals sprouted grain before hatching. When a disease occurs, exclude substandard fats from the diet and give a vitamin E concentrate at the rate of 40-150 mcg per 1 head.
Hypovitaminosis K
This disease is accompanied by jaundice, hemorrhages in the muscles and skin, loss of appetite, and dry skin of the periocular space. Bloody discharge appears in feces.
For prevention, include carrots, alfalfa, nettle, clover in the animal diet. In case of illness, add Vikasol to the feed at the rate of 30 g per 1 kg of dry food. Give the drug for 3-4 days.
Hypovitaminosis B1
With a lack of vitamin B1, birds suffer from weakness in the limbs, weight loss, paralysis, and intestinal upset. Subsequently, feathers begin to break in animals, weakness appears in the legs, and the gait becomes heavy.
Preventive measures include adding 4-5% dry yeast to the diet of birds. The treatment consists of feeding 2 mg of thiamine daily to an adult bird.
Hypovitaminosis B2
This disease often affects small individuals aged from two weeks to a month. The lack of this vitamin is manifested in stunted growth, lack of plumage. When walking, the animal rests on the hock, and the toes are twisted.
Treatment is carried out with inclusion of riboflavin in the diet at the rate of 3-5 mg per 1 bird for two weeks. For prevention, give pheasants herbal flour, sprouted grain, yeast, herbs, milk waste.
Hypovitaminosis B3
With this disease, small pheasants face depletion, baldness, inflammation of the skin in the corners of the beak, gluing eyelids with secretions. The best source of pantothenic acid is yeast. Pheasants need 9-15 micrograms of yeast per 100 g of feed.
Hypovitaminosis B6
With a lack of vitamin B, the birds first weaken, their wings and head drop, feathers form poorly, and growth slows down. In the future, the disease leads to convulsions and tremors. For prevention, add sprouted grain to the diet of animal feed. In case of illness, give the bird the preparation of Pyridoxine at the rate of 0.3-0.5 mg per 100 g of feed.
Hypovitaminosis B12
A lack of vitamin B12 contributes to a decrease in the rate of egg production, disruption of the digestive process. Include dairy products, meat, bone and fishmeal in the diet of pheasants. You can also add to the feed powder, tablets and ampoules containing vitamin. On average, one pheasant per day should leave 10 micrograms.
Hypovitaminosis PP
With the disease, pheasants increase and inflame the hock joints, inflame the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity, eyes. Animals do not operate well, intestinal upset is observed. Treat birds with nicotinic acid at the rate of 8-15 mg per head per day. For prevention, include yeast, meat, wheat bran in the diet.
Pheasants are birds prone to developing various diseases and parasite attacks. In order to establish the cause and identify the disease in a timely manner, it is necessary to know the symptoms of diseases and how to deal with them. This will help save the bird or protect healthy individuals from death.
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