Sunday, December 4, 2011

Rats

Other Names


Organism or Mechanism


• Rattus rattus (black or roof rat)
• Rattus norvegicus (Norway rat)


Preventative Measures


• Block rat holes with asparagus foliage.
• Cover floors and/or walls with hardware cloth.
• Reduce access to feedstuffs.
• Employ a patrol of aggressive cats.


Management Treatments


• Scout for and cover new rat holes.
• Place snap traps or box traps in runways or along walls.


Physical Treatments


• Put out cornmeal and plaster of Paris bait.
• Try carefully managed use of organically approved rat baits as last resort.

Nutritional Treatments


Herbal Treatments


Homeopathic Treatments

Prolapse

Other Names


• dropped vent
• hernia


Organism or Mechanism


• Vent protruding due to egg retention
• Disease of the reproductive system
• Degeneration of the muscular system or prolonged laying.


Preventative Measures


• Support natural laying cycles.
• Provide exercise.
• Don’t push pullets to lay too early.


Management Treatments


Physical Treatments


• Massage the protruding organ with grease and carefully press it back into position.
• Place a pad of cotton soaked with witch hazel and bind tightly.
• Wash the protruding organ in lukewarm water or milk, anoint with linseed oil or sweet oil and gently force it back into the body. Repeat several times.


Nutritional Treatments


• Fast for 1 day, then feed a very light diet of greens, bran mash, molasses and buttermilk. Stop feeding seaweed during treatment.


Herbal Treatments


Homeopathic Treatments


• Treat with a dose of Aconite if organ is put back in.
• Treat with Pulsatilla or Nux vomica when external treatment is not used.
• Podophyllum if losts of straining
• Sepia or Silica

Predation

Other Names

• Dead chickens


Organism or Mechanism


foxes, dogs, coyotes, weasels, opossums, raccoons, skunks, snakes, hawks, owls


Preventative Measures


• Use electric netting, dogs, lion or tiger dung.
• Use nighttime dog patrols.
• Close up housing at night.
• Don’t pasture near hedgerows or other places predators can hide. (17)


Management Treatments


• Walk fence lines and inspect buildings for access.
• Include geese or quineas in the flock as watch dogs.


Physical Treatments


• If killing is done by dogs tie dead poultry to the collar of the dog and leave for a week. Do not socialize with dog.


Nutritional Treatments


Herbal Treatments


Homeopathic Treatments

Pox

Other Names
 
• fowl pox
• avian pox
• avian diphtheria


Organism or Mechanism

 pox virus


Preventative Measures
 
• Control mites and mosquitoes.
• Vaccinate.


Management Treatments


• Isolate infected birds.


Physical Treatments


Nutritional Treatments


Herbal Treatments


Homeopathic Treatments


• Alternate Arsenicum 3X and Rhus tox 3X (3 pellets every 2 hrs.).
• If many are affected put 20 drops (pellets) of Arsenicum alb. 3X in 1 pint water and make a feed mash, follow with Rhus tox mash.
• Dissolve 1-3 dozen pellets of Arsenicum in the drinking water for three days. If no improvement change to Rhus tox, renewing each day.
• Belladonna for hot fever and Silicea if pustules break.
• If lesions on head and comb are wart-like give--Antim tart.
• If lesions in mouth are diptheric type give--Kali mure, Nat sulph.
• If lesions with fever give--Antim tart, Aconite.
• If lesions without fever give--Bryonia, Calc phos.
• Head remedy--Variolinum30 or 200.
• Combination remedy of Pulsatilla200+Thuja200+Nat sulph200, 5ml each in 8 liters of water for 100 birds.

Poisoning

Other Names


Organism or Mechanism

• poisonous plants
• chemicals
• mycotoxins (in feed)
• fusarium (on grains)
• ergots (on grass or grains)


Preventative Measures


• Remove poisonous plants from range, i.e.: potato, black nightshade, henbane, iris, privet, rhododendron, castor, sweet pea, yew, rapeseed, corn cockle, clematis, St. John's Wort, buttercup, vetch, ragwort, blue-green algae.
• Use warfarin based rat baits as chickens are relatively resistant to them, but avoid those with phosphorus, arsenic, or zinc.


Management Treatments


Physical Treatments


Nutritional Treatments


Herbal Treatments


Homeopathic Treatments


• Nux vomica
• Could try isopathy: i.e. Belladonna for nightshade poisoning or Hypericum for St. John’s Wort poisoning.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Picking

Other Names

• feather picking
• vent picking
• cannibalism


Organism or Mechanism

• Insufficient protein.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Bright light.
• Excessive egg size.
• Excessive group size.
• Stress, boredom, and elevated levels of ammonia


Preventative Measures

• Paint windows red or darken with burlap bags.
• Reduce lighting intensity.
• Scatter whole grains, bales of hay or corn stover in pens, alfalfa and hay in nets.
• Avoid large egg size by reducing levels of linoleic acid (flaxseed) and high energy when hens do not need it.
• Spend time in chick brooder early on.
• Use non-hybrid, docile breeds.
• Maintain vigilance and isolate bullies and treat the injured.
• Increase time spent feeding.
• Ensure a balanced diet.
• Provide loose feed.
• Prevent parasites.
• Avoid Stress.
• Select breeds suited to free-range conditions.
• Avoid over-crowding.
• Provide pumpkins to peck, however this may cause very pale yolks.


Management Treatments

• Same as preventative treatments


Physical Treatments

• Apply Stockholm Tar to picked area.
• Apply Bitter Apple, Listerine to picked area.
• Give 1-tsp. salt/gal drinking water in AM, then fresh PM and repeat three days later.


Nutritional Treatments
 
• Provide mangels, cabbage, lettuce, or burlap bags of barley hung from the ceiling.
• Nail a piece of raw salt pork with a good rind on the wall.
• Hang cabbages or bunches of nettles.
• Scatter whole grains, bales of hay or corn stover in pens, alfalfa and hay in nets.
• Avoid large egg size by reducing levels of linoleic acid (flaxseed) and high energy when hens do not need it.
• Ensure hens are receiving enough lysine, methionine and threonine in diet.
• Increase fiber content of ration with oats, add manganese sulphate to ration, add vitamin pack to ration.
• Hang bagged leafy alfalfa.


Herbal Treatments
 • Feed comfrey.


Homeopathic Treatments
 • Helleborus niger

Pasted Vent

Other Names

• cloacitis
• vent gleet


Organism or Mechanism

• In chicks: unknown
 • In hens: loss of muscle tone


Preventative Measures

• Keep chicks warm.


Management Treatments

• Carefully clean vent and douche with a strong solution of garlic.


Physical Treatments

• Give 1-tsp. bicarbonate of soda/quart of drinking water, repeat every 4-5 days, and follow by cleaning housing.
• Apply venetian red (red oxide of iron).
• Apply iodine on vent area.


Nutritional Treatments

• Give a laxative diet followed by garlic.

Herbal Treatments


Homeopathic Treatments

• For chicks give: Ipecauncha 3X alternated with Chamomilla 3X
• If discharge is bloody or white give Merc. Sub Cor 2X (8 pellets/pint water) or Ars. Iod 3X.
• Silicea
• Give Carbo veg.