Bordetellosis is an upper respiratory disease, primarily seen in young turkeys, caused by infection with
Bordetella avium. This subject has recently been reviewed (Skeels and Arp, 1997). The disease is characterized in young turkeys by sneezing, oculonasal discharge, mouth breathing, tracheal collapse, and stunted growth. The disease is most commonly referred to as turkey coryza because its clinical appearance is somewhat similar to the clinical signs of infectious coryza in chickens.
Bordetella avium infects and causes disease in turkeys, chickens, and Japanese quail. The disease in chickens is mild in comparison to the disease in turkeys and B. avium may play only a secondary role in respiratory
disease in young chickens. In young turkeys, the disease is very contagious and acute signs of upper respiratory disease spread rapidly through a flock. Morbidity may reach 100% but the mortality rate is typically 5% or less.
Feed intake and body weight gain are negatively impacted, which contributes to the overall poor performance
of a B. avium-infected young turkey flock. The signs of the respiratory disease typically abate in 2 to 4
wk. Vaccination of turkeys to prevent bordetellosis has had only limited success. Inactivated B. avium whole cell bacterins have been used to immunize turkey breeder hens for the purpose of producing high levels of
maternal antibodies in the progeny. Although it appears that maternal antibodies delay the onset of infection in
the progeny, they do not successfully prevent infection nor eliminate the signs of the disease. A temperaturesensitive live vaccine has also been extensively used to immunize young poults. The use of the vaccine has generally been less than successful. It may be that poults are incapable of responding adequately to B. avium antigens at a very young age. Antibiotic treatment of flocks suffering with bordetellosis has provided minimal clinical improvement.
Pullorum Disease and Fowl Typhoid
Salmonella Pullorum or Pullorum Disease (PD) and Salmonella Gallinarum or Fowl Typhoid (FT) are caused by sub-species of Salmonella, pullorum and gallinarum respectively. Both are economically important diseases of chickens but may infect other birds as well.
PD and FT have been mostly eradicated in the United States, Canada, Japan, Western Europe and Australia. PD and FT are both reportable diseases. If you suspect your flock has either of these diseases, contact your state veterinarian for more information.
Chickens and turkeys are the natural hosts for FT and PD, but naturally occurring outbreaks occur in other birds, both wild and domestic. As a naturally occurring disease, Salmonellosis caused by S. pullorum has also been reported in humans.
Transmission
PD and FT are spread by:
bird-to-bird contact
hen to egg to chick (recovered hens will pass on the disease to roughly 1/3 of her eggs)
chick to chick
cannibalism of infected carcasses
wound contamination
fecal contamination of feed, water and litter
Wild birds, mammals and flies are capable of spreading these diseases, proper biosecurity measures will prevent the spread of infective material from house to house and from farm to farm.
Signs
When hatched from infected eggs, chicks and poults will begin to sicken and die soon after hatching. Birds are weak, with poor appetite and stunted growth. They will make shrill chirping and peeping sounds while attempting to eliminate chalky white droppings from their vents. In some cases signs won’t appear for 5 to 10 days after hatching, but then will increase for 7 -10 days, with most deaths occurring by the second to third week of life.
••••••
Pullorum disease in semi-mature and mature flocks may cause diarrhea, depression, dehydration and low feed intake. Survivors have reduced growth rates, and are under-developed and poorly feathered. Infected flocks have a high rate of carriers at maturity. Infected growing and mature fowl may exhibit little or no signs of disease, especially with pullorum disease.
Signs of an acute outbreak of FT include a sudden drop in feed intake, droopy and depressed birds, ruffled feathers, reduced fertility, and reduced hatch rate, all depending on the severity of infection. Death can occur in as few as 5 days, with 5-10 days being most common. Death may occur with no previous signs.
Morbidity and Mortality
The number of birds infected (morbidity) and the number of birds that die (mortality) varies by age, strain of bird, management, nutritional status, route and dose of exposure, and other disease stresses in the flock. PD in chicks can have up to 100 percent mortality, with the highest losses in the second week of life. FT has a 10 percent to 90 percent infection rate, with morbidity higher than mortality. Some chicks affected with FT recover on their own.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made by clinical signs, flock history, post-mortem lesions and mortality. Definitive diagnosis requires isolation and identification of the virus by qualified laboratory personnel. Home blood test kits are available for use; to eliminate carriers, the flock must have 2 negative blood tests at least 21 days apart.
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
The NPIP is a cooperative program begun in the 1930s by federal/state governments and industry to coordinate efforts to eliminate PD from poultry flocks and hatcheries. Since then, the NPIP has adapted to changes in the poultry industry.
Years of dedicated effort have led to the eradication of PD from commercial poultry flocks. Outbreaks still occur, reinforcing the need for continued diligence and surveillance. Many states require either a negative Pullorum test within the past 90 days or participation in the NPIP for poultry to legally enter the state or be exhibited at fairs and other public exhibitions. To participate in the NPIP, contact the office of your state veterinarian.
Prevention
To prevent the introduction of PD and FT to your flock:
Obtain birds and hatching eggs from certified-pullorum-free flocks.
Don’t mix certified flocks with birds of unknown status.
Clean and sanitize an area before introducing new chicks.
Keep feed in clean, sanitary conditions to eliminate contamination.
Practice sound biosecurity to prevent introduction of disease.
Treatment
Treatment of Salmonella Pullorum and Salmonella Gallinarum is neither feasible nor desirable. Eradication
is the preferred method of control, as recovered birds have a tendency to become carriers.
PD and FT have been mostly eradicated in the United States, Canada, Japan, Western Europe and Australia. PD and FT are both reportable diseases. If you suspect your flock has either of these diseases, contact your state veterinarian for more information.
Chickens and turkeys are the natural hosts for FT and PD, but naturally occurring outbreaks occur in other birds, both wild and domestic. As a naturally occurring disease, Salmonellosis caused by S. pullorum has also been reported in humans.
Transmission
PD and FT are spread by:
bird-to-bird contact
hen to egg to chick (recovered hens will pass on the disease to roughly 1/3 of her eggs)
chick to chick
cannibalism of infected carcasses
wound contamination
fecal contamination of feed, water and litter
Wild birds, mammals and flies are capable of spreading these diseases, proper biosecurity measures will prevent the spread of infective material from house to house and from farm to farm.
Signs
When hatched from infected eggs, chicks and poults will begin to sicken and die soon after hatching. Birds are weak, with poor appetite and stunted growth. They will make shrill chirping and peeping sounds while attempting to eliminate chalky white droppings from their vents. In some cases signs won’t appear for 5 to 10 days after hatching, but then will increase for 7 -10 days, with most deaths occurring by the second to third week of life.
••••••
Pullorum disease in semi-mature and mature flocks may cause diarrhea, depression, dehydration and low feed intake. Survivors have reduced growth rates, and are under-developed and poorly feathered. Infected flocks have a high rate of carriers at maturity. Infected growing and mature fowl may exhibit little or no signs of disease, especially with pullorum disease.
Signs of an acute outbreak of FT include a sudden drop in feed intake, droopy and depressed birds, ruffled feathers, reduced fertility, and reduced hatch rate, all depending on the severity of infection. Death can occur in as few as 5 days, with 5-10 days being most common. Death may occur with no previous signs.
Morbidity and Mortality
The number of birds infected (morbidity) and the number of birds that die (mortality) varies by age, strain of bird, management, nutritional status, route and dose of exposure, and other disease stresses in the flock. PD in chicks can have up to 100 percent mortality, with the highest losses in the second week of life. FT has a 10 percent to 90 percent infection rate, with morbidity higher than mortality. Some chicks affected with FT recover on their own.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made by clinical signs, flock history, post-mortem lesions and mortality. Definitive diagnosis requires isolation and identification of the virus by qualified laboratory personnel. Home blood test kits are available for use; to eliminate carriers, the flock must have 2 negative blood tests at least 21 days apart.
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
The NPIP is a cooperative program begun in the 1930s by federal/state governments and industry to coordinate efforts to eliminate PD from poultry flocks and hatcheries. Since then, the NPIP has adapted to changes in the poultry industry.
Years of dedicated effort have led to the eradication of PD from commercial poultry flocks. Outbreaks still occur, reinforcing the need for continued diligence and surveillance. Many states require either a negative Pullorum test within the past 90 days or participation in the NPIP for poultry to legally enter the state or be exhibited at fairs and other public exhibitions. To participate in the NPIP, contact the office of your state veterinarian.
Prevention
To prevent the introduction of PD and FT to your flock:
Obtain birds and hatching eggs from certified-pullorum-free flocks.
Don’t mix certified flocks with birds of unknown status.
Clean and sanitize an area before introducing new chicks.
Keep feed in clean, sanitary conditions to eliminate contamination.
Practice sound biosecurity to prevent introduction of disease.
Treatment
Treatment of Salmonella Pullorum and Salmonella Gallinarum is neither feasible nor desirable. Eradication
is the preferred method of control, as recovered birds have a tendency to become carriers.
Marek’s Disease
Marek’s Disease is a viral tumor-causing disease of chickens. Marek’s is distributed worldwide and is so common that if you have birds, they have been exposed to Marek’s, regardless of whether they show symptoms or not. There are 4 different forms of Marek’s:
Marek’s Disease is caused by 6 different herpes viruses that primarily affect young birds. The virus concentrates in feather follicles and is shed in dander. Marek’s disease-causing virus particles can survive for months in chicken-house dust and litter.
Transmission
Marek’s is highly contagious and spreads by bird-to-bird contact, by contact with infected dust and dander, and by darkling beetles and mealworms that live in the chicken house, although the virus has no affect on the beetles or mealworms.
Other organisms common to chicken houses such as free-living mites, mosquitoes and coccidia do not transmit the disease. Chickens are most commonly exposed to Marek’s by contact with residual dust and dander in previously infected houses, by aerosol (air) contamination from a nearby house, or by virus particles carried by personnel and equipment. The virus doesn’t survive the incubation process well and is not spread by hatching eggs. Immune transfer from the hen to the chick provides some protection to the chick for the first few days of life.
Signs
The signs and symptoms of Marek’s Disease vary depending on the form of disease present.
Cutaneous form: Enlarged reddened feather follicles and white bumps on the skin that form
brown crusty scabs.
Neural form: Characterized by one, all, or none of the following symptoms -
• Progressive paralysis, usually of the leg or wing, a typical leg-paralysis victim will
have one leg extended forward and one leg extended back. A swelling of the sciatic
nerve is the cause.
• Weight loss
• Labored breathing
• Diarrhea
• Starvation and death due to an inability to reach feed and water and to trampling by penmates.
• Cutaneous (skin form)
• Neural (nerve form)
• Ocular (eye form)
• Visceral (internal-organ form)
Ocular form:
• Gray eye color
• Misshapen iris
• Weight loss
• Blindness
• Death
Visceral Form: Tumors on internal organs including heart, ovary, liver and lung.
Morbidity and mortality
Morbidity (number affected) in unvaccinated flocks can reach 60 percent. Vaccinated flocks fare better with less than 5 percent affected. Mortality is high in affected birds reaching nearly 100 percent over a 10-week period. Pullets are more likely to be affected than cockerels.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is derived from the flock history, symptoms and necropsy findings.
Prevention
• Breed for resistance.
• Good sanitation and ventilation.
• Brood chicks separately from adults until 5 months of age.
• Keep turkeys with chickens (this may help the chickens with Marek’s, but can lead to black
head disease in the turkeys).
• Vaccinate all chicks at 1 day old; keep chicks from exposure until immunity has developed, about 7 days.
Treatment
None. Cull affected birds. Some birds develop temporary paralysis that disappears after 1-2 days. They appear to return to normal, but frequently die from internal tumors a short time later.
Marek’s Disease is caused by 6 different herpes viruses that primarily affect young birds. The virus concentrates in feather follicles and is shed in dander. Marek’s disease-causing virus particles can survive for months in chicken-house dust and litter.
Transmission
Marek’s is highly contagious and spreads by bird-to-bird contact, by contact with infected dust and dander, and by darkling beetles and mealworms that live in the chicken house, although the virus has no affect on the beetles or mealworms.
Other organisms common to chicken houses such as free-living mites, mosquitoes and coccidia do not transmit the disease. Chickens are most commonly exposed to Marek’s by contact with residual dust and dander in previously infected houses, by aerosol (air) contamination from a nearby house, or by virus particles carried by personnel and equipment. The virus doesn’t survive the incubation process well and is not spread by hatching eggs. Immune transfer from the hen to the chick provides some protection to the chick for the first few days of life.
Signs
The signs and symptoms of Marek’s Disease vary depending on the form of disease present.
Cutaneous form: Enlarged reddened feather follicles and white bumps on the skin that form
brown crusty scabs.
Neural form: Characterized by one, all, or none of the following symptoms -
• Progressive paralysis, usually of the leg or wing, a typical leg-paralysis victim will
have one leg extended forward and one leg extended back. A swelling of the sciatic
nerve is the cause.
• Weight loss
• Labored breathing
• Diarrhea
• Starvation and death due to an inability to reach feed and water and to trampling by penmates.
• Cutaneous (skin form)
• Neural (nerve form)
• Ocular (eye form)
• Visceral (internal-organ form)
Ocular form:
• Gray eye color
• Misshapen iris
• Weight loss
• Blindness
• Death
Visceral Form: Tumors on internal organs including heart, ovary, liver and lung.
Morbidity and mortality
Morbidity (number affected) in unvaccinated flocks can reach 60 percent. Vaccinated flocks fare better with less than 5 percent affected. Mortality is high in affected birds reaching nearly 100 percent over a 10-week period. Pullets are more likely to be affected than cockerels.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is derived from the flock history, symptoms and necropsy findings.
Prevention
• Breed for resistance.
• Good sanitation and ventilation.
• Brood chicks separately from adults until 5 months of age.
• Keep turkeys with chickens (this may help the chickens with Marek’s, but can lead to black
head disease in the turkeys).
• Vaccinate all chicks at 1 day old; keep chicks from exposure until immunity has developed, about 7 days.
Treatment
None. Cull affected birds. Some birds develop temporary paralysis that disappears after 1-2 days. They appear to return to normal, but frequently die from internal tumors a short time later.
Newcastle Disease
Newcastle disease occurs in two basic forms, the common form, or Newcastle Disease, and Exotic Newcastle Disease. Exotic Newcastle Disease is rare and is a federally reportable disease. If fifty percent or more of your flock dies suddenly, contact your state veterinarian, who will provide information on how and where to get a definitive diagnosis of the disease affecting your flock.
Newcastle Disease is more common, causes fewer, less severe symptoms and is less economically important. This fact sheet will focus on Newcastle Disease. For more information on Exotic Newcastle Disease visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/birdbiosecurity/END/ for a complete description of the disease and the measures in place to prevent widespread disease.
Transmission
Newcastle Disease virus is present in high concentrations in the bodily secretions of infected birds. The virus is spread by air, contact with body secretions, and by contaminated water and feed.
Signs
Young, growing birds exhibit respiratory signs such as wheezing, gasping, coughing and chirping. Nervous symptoms may follow in 10 to 14 days, resulting in leg, wing and/or neck paralysis. If nervous symptoms are present, high death losses may result from an inability to reach food and water and from trampling by pen mates.
Adult birds show only slight respiratory signs including nasal discharge, and cloudy eye. Additionally, there may be a slight decrease of egg production. Eggs may be misshapen and have rough shells.
Morbidity and Mortality
A large number of the flock may be affected, but death losses will be low unless nervous symptoms develop. Adult birds may show few if any signs and recover without intervention. Recovered birds can remain carriers for up to one month.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made from the symptoms, respiratory and nervous, in young birds, and by positive identification of the virus through laboratory tests.
Prevention
If Newcastle Disease is prevalent in your area, vaccinate at 1 day of age, (vaccine may be delayed to 7-10 days of age) and re-vaccinate every 4 months. Vaccinate adult birds when you first vaccinate the young. Other prevention measures include adherence to bio-security and breeding for resistance.
Treatment
Once signs appear, provide supportive therapy, and keep the flock warm and well-fed. Protect birds exhibiting nervous symptoms from being trampled. Watch for secondary, opportunistic bacterial infection.
Newcastle Disease is more common, causes fewer, less severe symptoms and is less economically important. This fact sheet will focus on Newcastle Disease. For more information on Exotic Newcastle Disease visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/birdbiosecurity/END/ for a complete description of the disease and the measures in place to prevent widespread disease.
Transmission
Newcastle Disease virus is present in high concentrations in the bodily secretions of infected birds. The virus is spread by air, contact with body secretions, and by contaminated water and feed.
Signs
Young, growing birds exhibit respiratory signs such as wheezing, gasping, coughing and chirping. Nervous symptoms may follow in 10 to 14 days, resulting in leg, wing and/or neck paralysis. If nervous symptoms are present, high death losses may result from an inability to reach food and water and from trampling by pen mates.
Adult birds show only slight respiratory signs including nasal discharge, and cloudy eye. Additionally, there may be a slight decrease of egg production. Eggs may be misshapen and have rough shells.
Morbidity and Mortality
A large number of the flock may be affected, but death losses will be low unless nervous symptoms develop. Adult birds may show few if any signs and recover without intervention. Recovered birds can remain carriers for up to one month.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made from the symptoms, respiratory and nervous, in young birds, and by positive identification of the virus through laboratory tests.
Prevention
If Newcastle Disease is prevalent in your area, vaccinate at 1 day of age, (vaccine may be delayed to 7-10 days of age) and re-vaccinate every 4 months. Vaccinate adult birds when you first vaccinate the young. Other prevention measures include adherence to bio-security and breeding for resistance.
Treatment
Once signs appear, provide supportive therapy, and keep the flock warm and well-fed. Protect birds exhibiting nervous symptoms from being trampled. Watch for secondary, opportunistic bacterial infection.
Cannibalism
“Henpecked” seems innocent enough, unless you’re on the receiving end!
Feather-pecking is a natural expression of dominance in poultry flocks. The severity of the damage associated with feather-pecking can be influenced by management factors and the breed of hens. Pecking behavior leads to feather damage, feather loss, reduced ability to regulate body temperature and reduced egg production in affected birds.
In some cases, feather-pecking leads to bleeding at the feather site. Bleeding attracts more pecking, not only by the dominant hen but by all members of the flock. Severe injury, resulting in culling or death may result. If left in the coop a severely injured or dead bird will be cannibalized by the flock.
Vent-picking is usually a problem when birds begin to lay, either for the first time or returning to egg production after molting. Vent-picking occurs immediately after an egg is laid while the mucus membrane is exposed. It’s more prevalent in overcrowded floor systems with birds laying eggs on the floor.
There may be a genetic component to feather-pecking, since the light breeds are more prone to the behavior than the heavier breeds. Feather-pecking can also be a learned behavior; once one bird starts the practice in your coop, the others quickly learn to join in. Once feather- pecking and cannibalism have occurred in your flock, it is a difficult habit to break. While there is no agreement on the exact causes of feather pecking and cannibalism, there are things you can do to limit or prevent pecking in your flock.
Provide adequate floor space for the age, number and size of the birds.
Provide adequate space at food and water, provide free-choice feed and water at all times. A little too much is better than not enough.
Provide enough nesting sites. Nest boxes should be 12″ x 12″ x 12″, fairly private and dark inside. You should provide 1 nest box for every 5 hens in the flock. Again, too many is better than not enough.
Moderate the light intensity. High light intensity and continuous lighting cause stress that can lead to pecking.
Provide proper nutrition. Feather-pecking may have a nutritional component. Feed a diet balanced for the age and stage of production of your flock.
Remove injured and dead birds from the flock. Injured and dead birds, regardless of the cause, may be pecked and cannibalized by the flock. This may not only cause the spread of disease in your flock, but may also promote pecking and cannibalism.
Feather-pecking is a natural expression of dominance in poultry flocks. The severity of the damage associated with feather-pecking can be influenced by management factors and the breed of hens. Pecking behavior leads to feather damage, feather loss, reduced ability to regulate body temperature and reduced egg production in affected birds.
In some cases, feather-pecking leads to bleeding at the feather site. Bleeding attracts more pecking, not only by the dominant hen but by all members of the flock. Severe injury, resulting in culling or death may result. If left in the coop a severely injured or dead bird will be cannibalized by the flock.
Vent-picking is usually a problem when birds begin to lay, either for the first time or returning to egg production after molting. Vent-picking occurs immediately after an egg is laid while the mucus membrane is exposed. It’s more prevalent in overcrowded floor systems with birds laying eggs on the floor.
There may be a genetic component to feather-pecking, since the light breeds are more prone to the behavior than the heavier breeds. Feather-pecking can also be a learned behavior; once one bird starts the practice in your coop, the others quickly learn to join in. Once feather- pecking and cannibalism have occurred in your flock, it is a difficult habit to break. While there is no agreement on the exact causes of feather pecking and cannibalism, there are things you can do to limit or prevent pecking in your flock.
Provide adequate floor space for the age, number and size of the birds.
Provide adequate space at food and water, provide free-choice feed and water at all times. A little too much is better than not enough.
Provide enough nesting sites. Nest boxes should be 12″ x 12″ x 12″, fairly private and dark inside. You should provide 1 nest box for every 5 hens in the flock. Again, too many is better than not enough.
Moderate the light intensity. High light intensity and continuous lighting cause stress that can lead to pecking.
Provide proper nutrition. Feather-pecking may have a nutritional component. Feed a diet balanced for the age and stage of production of your flock.
Remove injured and dead birds from the flock. Injured and dead birds, regardless of the cause, may be pecked and cannibalized by the flock. This may not only cause the spread of disease in your flock, but may also promote pecking and cannibalism.
Bumblefoot
Bumblefoot, also known as plantar pododermatitis, is a common disorder of maturing males of the heavy breeds. Bumblefoot is characterized by lameness, swelling, heat, reluctance to walk, and a hard, pus-filled abscess on the pad of the foot covered by a black scab.
Bumblefoot results from injury or abrasion to the lower surface of the foot, which allows for the introduction of staphylococcus bacteria. Lesions can occur on toes, hocks and the pads of the feet. Bumblefoot is a chronic disease that if left untreated can result in a 50 percent mortality rate.
Staphylococcus bacteria are present wherever there are chickens. Infection occurs when a rough perch, splinter, wire floor, or a heavy bird’s jump from a perch more than 18 inches off the floor causes a small break in the skin, allowing bacteria to enter. Improper litter management can also cause skin irritation and skin breaks that allow staph bacteria into the wound.
If Bumblefoot is detected while the lesion is soft and pliable, chances for successful treatment are higher than if treatment is delayed until the lesion becomes rock hard. Early Bumblefoot infections can be successfully treated with antibiotics, separating the affected bird from the flock and providing deep bedding to limit stress on the sore foot.
Administer the antibiotic according to label directions for the specified number of days. Staph bacteria can be transmitted to humans, so if you treat the bird, make sure to protect yourself by wearing gloves when handling the bird or the lesion. Wash hands, clothes and equipment after handling affected birds.
Draining the lesion promotes healing. Soak the foot in warm water and Epsom salts. When the scab has softened, remove it to expose the pus-filled cavity. Flush the cavity with hydrogen peroxide to clean out the pus and debris. Pack the cavity with antibiotic ointment, and then wrap the foot to keep the cavity clean.
Keep the treated bird separate from the rest of the flock on deep bedding, flush the cavity and re-wrap the foot at least every other day until completely healed. Pus and debris from the abscess are contagious to humans and other animals, so gather all contaminated materials for proper disposal by incineration or deep burial.
To prevent Bumblefoot, keep perches less than 18 inches off the floor. Repeated jumping from high perches by heavy birds can cause irritation and damage to the bottom of the foot and lead to Bumblefoot. Practice proper litter management; keep bedding clean, dry and deep in the coop to limit irritation to the foot. Check roosts, floors and other surfaces for rough and sharp edges. Puncture wounds and scrapes can become infected with staph bacteria and lead to abscesses.
Bumblefoot results from injury or abrasion to the lower surface of the foot, which allows for the introduction of staphylococcus bacteria. Lesions can occur on toes, hocks and the pads of the feet. Bumblefoot is a chronic disease that if left untreated can result in a 50 percent mortality rate.
Staphylococcus bacteria are present wherever there are chickens. Infection occurs when a rough perch, splinter, wire floor, or a heavy bird’s jump from a perch more than 18 inches off the floor causes a small break in the skin, allowing bacteria to enter. Improper litter management can also cause skin irritation and skin breaks that allow staph bacteria into the wound.
If Bumblefoot is detected while the lesion is soft and pliable, chances for successful treatment are higher than if treatment is delayed until the lesion becomes rock hard. Early Bumblefoot infections can be successfully treated with antibiotics, separating the affected bird from the flock and providing deep bedding to limit stress on the sore foot.
Administer the antibiotic according to label directions for the specified number of days. Staph bacteria can be transmitted to humans, so if you treat the bird, make sure to protect yourself by wearing gloves when handling the bird or the lesion. Wash hands, clothes and equipment after handling affected birds.
Draining the lesion promotes healing. Soak the foot in warm water and Epsom salts. When the scab has softened, remove it to expose the pus-filled cavity. Flush the cavity with hydrogen peroxide to clean out the pus and debris. Pack the cavity with antibiotic ointment, and then wrap the foot to keep the cavity clean.
Keep the treated bird separate from the rest of the flock on deep bedding, flush the cavity and re-wrap the foot at least every other day until completely healed. Pus and debris from the abscess are contagious to humans and other animals, so gather all contaminated materials for proper disposal by incineration or deep burial.
To prevent Bumblefoot, keep perches less than 18 inches off the floor. Repeated jumping from high perches by heavy birds can cause irritation and damage to the bottom of the foot and lead to Bumblefoot. Practice proper litter management; keep bedding clean, dry and deep in the coop to limit irritation to the foot. Check roosts, floors and other surfaces for rough and sharp edges. Puncture wounds and scrapes can become infected with staph bacteria and lead to abscesses.
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