Health Problems of Poultry and Game Birds

compiled by Terry Smith

Other Health Problems

Problem

Symptoms

Treatment

Capillary Worms  

Pale head, poor appetite, droopiness, weakness, emaciation, and occasionally diarrhea. Birds may sit with the head drawn in.

No approved wormer is available, but Levamisol, if available, is often used.

Botulism (Limberneck)

Sudden death or leg weaknesses, drowsiness and flaccid paralysis of legs, wings, and neck. Has difficulty swallowing, ruffled, loose feathers; lies on side with outstretched neck and closed eyes; trembling sometimes, diarrhea; coma and death due to heart and/or respiratory paralysis.

Remove source of poisoning (decaying vegetable and animal matter) and contaminated litter. Use molasses or Epsom salts (1 tsp. Epsom salts dissolved in 1/2 c. water*) to flush toxins from system.  *Squirt down bird’s throat twice daily for 2 or 3 days. 

Gape Worm

Infected birds yawn, grunt, gasp, sneeze, cough, choke; have loss of energy, little appetite, are weak and emaciated, have closed eyes, and will frequently shake the head to dislodge worms from windpipe.

Treat with thiabenadazole or levamisole. Reworm in 10 days.

Scaly Leg Mites

Raised scales on shanks and feet. Legs thicken and crust over. Can attack combs and wattles.

Use Ivomec to control scaly-leg mites in birds not kept for meat and eggs. Spray with Scalex. 

Prohibit Leviamisole Solution:  Dissolve 52 gram (1.84 oz) pkt of cattle and sheep wormer in 3 quarts water to make a stock solution. Add 1 oz stock solution to 1 gallon drinking water. Effective at treating Capillaria (capillary worms), Heterakis (cecal worms), and Ascaridia (roundworms). The solutions contain .5 gram of leviamisole per gallon of water. Allow the birds to drink the solution for one day, then remove. In severe cases, the treatment can be repeated every 5-7 days. Dosing information from the Mississippi State University Web Site.

Mix 1 lb bag Safe-Guard pellets with 100 lbs feed. Feed free-choice for three consecutive days. Fenbendazole can be a very effective treatment for eliminating Capillaria (capillary worms), Heterakis (cecal worms), Ascaridia (roundworms), and Syngamus spp. (gapeworms). Toxicity from overdosing with fenbendazole is very remote. Research indicates that amounts up to 100 times the recommended dosages have been given under research conditions without adverse effects to the birds. Do not use during the molt as emerging feathers can be deformed.

References

The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow

Penn State Poultry Health Handbook.

Grower’s Reference on Gamebird Health by L. Dwight Schwartz

The best thing to do if you really want to effectively treat your  birds is to consult your local vet or the diagnostic laboratory at your state agricultural college or university.

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