Some Managemental Conditions, Oviduct Impaction In Chickens, And Duck Histomoniasis, And Their Effect On Poultry Production

Abstract

Poultry keeping is a commercial enterprise for the farmer. The poultry farmer obtains hi s /her income from the sale of eggs, poultry meat and manure. Thus, any factor which directly or indirectly affects the above will adversely affect respective profit margins. Diseases are known to have direct effect; some of which may not cause obvious losses like death, but will cause morbidity losses such as: reduction in egg production, fertility and/or hatchability, pullets taking too long to start laying, and broilers taking too long to reach market weight. Since those in latter category consist birds that are living, feeding costs get inflated, thus increasing expenses for the farmer. This paper reports on three managemental conditions/ diseases that are occasionally encountered at the poultry clinic , University of Nairobi, Kabete. They include: articular and visceral gout in chicke ns, crop, rectal and oviduct impactions in chickens, and histomoniasis in a duck. The excruciating pain normally associated with articular gout prevents the affected bird from moving towards feed and water, leading to starvation and reduction in production . Visceral gout is normally seen as a post - mortem finding having caused very little, if any, discomfort or reduction in production rate. However, if heavy depositions of urates occur in vital organs, they can lead to interference of the respective organ’s normal functioning . Impactions of the crop, rectum and oviduct cause stasis of respective contents, leading to absorption of toxic waste products and resultant autointoxication. In cases where perforation occurs, peritonitis results, leading to death of th e bird. Histomoniasis is a deadly disease of mainly turkeys; chickens are normally serving as carriers of the causative agent. Histomoniasis in ducks is rare. The disease affects mainly the caeca and liver, and is common when birds of different species, in cluding chickens, are mixed; a situation which is common in villages. The possibility of this vast group of village chickens being a source of infections to the small percentage of commercial exotic chickens is addressed, emphasizing the need for a holisti c approach towards control of diseases in poultry