Common Chicken Disease That Might Strike Your Pets

By Author: Emily Crystel
Total Articles: 22
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All animals can get sick, dogs, cats, rabbits, even man, can suffer from ailments caused by different factors. Taking care of a sick chicken can be hard too so in order to keep them healthy, provide them with good food and clean surroundings. Following are diseases that usually afflict chickens.

External Parasites
External parasites include ticks, fleas, lice and mites. These are very common afflictions in chickens. Mites are very small and very itchy. You can feel them crawl on your skin but you can barely see them. Lice are bigger and are more common in humans but chickens have them too. Fleas and ticks are more often found in dogs but it can also infect chickens.

Chickens that have these parasites can come down with tick fever. These organisms can cause skin irritation and should be treated immediately. Sprays that can help eradicate this problem are available in pet stores.

Worms - Parasites That Attack Inside
So you think only humans can have worms, other animals can have them too. Chickens are no exception. It can cause diarrhea and pale comb in them. If you suspect a chicken ...
... of having worms, collect his feces and have it checked by the veterinarian to get the right medication. Keep the disease from spreading by disposing of their wastes regularly.

Virus - Marek's Disease
This affliction is untreatable but is preventable. It can survive even the harshest conditions and can spread by your handling of the chickens or through dust and their feathers. The virus strikes the white blood cells causing leg, neck, and wing paralysis. It can cause cancer which is untreatable but through vaccination, it can be prevented.

Fowl Pox
This is one other virus that can harm your flock. This usually starts with the wounds and cuts that chickens get when they fight or peck insects. This virus is not deadly though and chickens die of secondary infections and not because of fowl pox. Should the infected chicken survive, he is already immune to the virus for the rest of his life.

Prevention
Cleanliness is still the best safeguard against diseases. It is very important that you clean the coop and dispose of chicken waste properly. Give them clean food and water always and clean the food and water containers regularly.

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