Avian Bird Flu Advice
• Feed and water your birds indoors to avoid contamination by wild birds and other animals.
• Make sure your premises are tidy and clean. Spilled feed, litter and standing water attract wild birds and vermin.
• Keep your birds separate from wild birds, waterfowl, pets and other animals. Control vermin.
• Keep visitors and their vehicles away from your birds as far as possible. If they must have access, make sure vehicles and equipment are clean.
• Make sure your clothes, footwear and hands are clean, before and after contact with birds. Any essential visitors should do the same.
• Avoid sharing equipment. If you do have to share, make sure it is cleansed and disinfected before and after use.
• Buy feed from a mill or supplier that operates in accordance with Defra and Agricultural Industries
Confederation Codes of Practice. Supply clean, fresh drinking water.
• Be vigilant when purchasing new stock. Use reputable sources. Isolate new birds and birds you have taken off your premises (for example, to a show).
• Look out for signs of disease. Increased mortality, falling egg production and respiratory distress may be early signs of a disease problem.
• If you suspect disease, act quickly and consult your vet. Bird flu and Newcastle disease are notifiable diseases and must be reported to your local Divisional Veterinary Manager.
Looking after the girls
Chickens can have minor ailments, like colds and runny noses but these are easily treated with a bit of good old-fashioned TLC. Most problems occur when many chickens are being kept together or are being neglected.
Worms: Round and Tape. These are the most likely types of worms that your chickens may experience. Symptoms: Drop in egg production with an increase in hunger. Birds can also have diarrhoea as a symptom, although diarrhoea alone does not mean worms are the culprit. Contact a vet who will give you medication to be included in your bird's feed.
Lice: Symptoms: White build up around the feather base near the vent, in a bad case there could be a build up on feathers as well. The whiteness is lice eggs. If you do find lice eggs around the vent when checking the chicken's health, brush them off and rub vaseline around the area, (sulphur ointment is better than killing lice if the problem persists). To prevent this, dust the nestbox with louse powder every week or so. Don't panic, they will not spread to you or other animals!
Red Mite: Symptoms: Egg production will go down. In a bad case the bird could look a bit pale from blood lost to the little suckers. You will not be able to find any by inspecting your birds during the day as they only crawl onto the birds for a nibble at night. Have a look every month or so for mites in the crevices at the ends of the roosting bars. There are mite-sprays available to prevent this for certain periods of time.
Northern Mite: Symptoms:In bad cases, scabby comb, face and wattles.
They tend to gather around the vent and are grey/black. Again mite-sprays are available to stop them.
Infectious Bronchitis: Symptoms: Drop in egg production and thin, rough and wrinkley egg shells. Sneezing and gaspy birds with a discharge from the nose. Your chickens will be very unlikely to catch this airborne disease as they were vaccinated before you got them, but it is still possible. The illness should only last for a couple of weeks. Egg production will improve again but will probably never be as good as before, with more occasional dodgy eggs.
Aspergillosis: Symptoms: Thirsty, wheezy, lethargic. Avoid this by making sure you clean the dropping tray regularly. Young birds are most vulnerable, but adult birds can be infected. It is caught by breathing in spores from mouldy matter. Unfortunately there is no cure! The best thing for the chicken would be to put it out of its misery, or get a vet to do it for you.
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