Blackhead disease (histomoniasis) Blackhead disease (histomoniasis) is an important poultry disease that affects turkeys, chickens, and game birds such as partridges, pheasants, and quail. The disease is caused by the protozoa Histomonas meleagridis, tiny, single-celled organisms that are spread to the bird by the roundworm Heterakis gallinarum. Lifecycle…
Gapeworms parasites The gapeworm (Syngamus trachea) is a round red worm that attach to the trachea (windpipe) of birds and causes the disease referred to as "gapes". The term describes the open-mouth breathing characteristic of gapeworm-infected birds. Heavily infected birds usually emit…
Botulism Disease Botulism is a disease caused by the ingestion of a toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. All domestic fowl and most wild birds are susceptible to the toxin's effects. Many human deaths have also been attributed to the consumption…
What is the correct incubator temperature What is the optimum incubation temperature and humidity for chicken? The optimum temperature for chicken eggs during incubation is 37.5 degrees centigrade throughout the 21 days. It is the humidity you need to change as follows. Day 1 to 10…
Avian Influenza DiseaseAvian Influenza is most commonly known as bird flu. It was one of my initial fears of owning chickens because all you hear about on the news is how people get sick with bird flu from their chickens. However, after…
How to manage persistent chicken disease outbreaks If your chicken farm is experiencing an inordinate number of disease outbreaks that require constant but desperate intervention then the adage desperate situations require desperate measures may apply to you. It also may be likely you have made certain mistakes…
