Diseases are something that does not only affect humans, but can affect any living organism. And if you have your own poultry farm, the most serious diseases to watch out for are poultry diseases. The birds on your farm are easily susceptible to various microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria that cause disease. If you read the Internet or other sources about poultry, you will find that the chicken in particular has a much faster metabolism system than other household pets. This is why diseases attack chickens and other birds quite easily, and when they do, it hits them pretty hard and fast. These diseases spread very easily to the whole body of chickens in a very short time. That is why it is of the utmost importance for all poultry farm owners to have a veterinarian check their chickens regularly to make sure they are not affected by any disease.

Poultry diseases affect chickens and birds in a variety of ways. First of all, the biggest threat these diseases pose to farm owners is that they tend to spread very easily from one chicken to another and, if not caught early enough, can affect entire flocks. These diseases instantly affect the immune system of birds. There are some very serious and common diseases that you should be aware of so that you can easily spot their symptoms as soon as they start to appear and take timely action to prevent any serious long-term damage.

Among all diseases, colibacillosis is the most widespread of all poultry-related diseases found in chickens, according to the country’s Poultry Information Center. This disease is bacterial in nature and is caused by strains of E. coli that are found in the intestine of chickens and immediately affect their respiratory system. The symptoms of these diseases differ, but this one can be detected by noticing runny nose, difficulty breathing, watery eyes, diarrhea and coughing in poultry. Another way to spot these diseases is to keep monitoring your flock of chickens to make sure they are still energetic and not ruffled.

Among the category of viral diseases found in chickens and most other birds, Newcastle disease is quite widespread, affecting both the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems of birds. To detect these diseases early, look for symptoms such as a reduced rate of egg production, green diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, labored breathing, and leg and wing paralysis. As soon as you spot any of these symptoms in your chicken, you should have it checked out by a vet right away to start treatment for any diseases that may be affecting it. These diseases spread quite quickly and the only way you can protect your herd is by vaccinating them.

Among other diseases, another one that must be closely watched is avian pox. This disease is caused by a smallpox virus and develops very slowly in chickens. To spot these diseases, you should look for symptoms like lumps on the featherless areas of your chicken that resemble warts. The area most affected by poultry diseases is their legs, feet or beaks. Other signs of these diseases are shortness of breath, exhaustion, and weight loss. Again, you should have your chicken flock regularly checked by a vet to make sure that no symptoms of these diseases are affecting your chicken to keep it in top shape all the time.