EXTERNAL SYMPTOMS FOR DIAGNOSING POULTRY DISEASES

Contents taken from the Mississippi State University Department of Poultry Science.
URL: http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disaid.htm

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*You may also check out the Avian Disease Facts and Diagnosis if this page did not help you*

Symptoms According to Body Part
HEAD COMB EYES FACE
NOSTRILS MOUTH WATTLES NECK
BODY FEATHERS SKIN LEGS
FEET DROPPINGS EGG PRODUCTION DEATH

BODY

Symptom Possible Cause
Emaciation... Off-feed; nutritional deficiencies; lymphoid leukosis; enteritis; gizzard impaction; tuberculosis; unknown
Stunted, uneven growth.... Gizzard impaction; bluecomb disease; alfatoxin poisoning; synovitis; contaminated hatching egg
Swellings... Ruptured air sac; edema
Twitching, muscular spasm... Botulism; infectious bursal disease
Trembling... Epidemic tremors; encephalitis (brain damage)
Paralysis... Botulism; Marek's disease; arthritis; alfatoxin poisoning; epidemic tremor
Dehydration... Acute lack of water; coccidiosis; infectious bursal disease; nutritional imbalance-dietary salts
Nervousness... Hysteria; drug intoxication; Newcastle; fungus infection
Lying on breast, legs paralyzed... Algae poisoning; acute lack of water; yellow jasmine poisoning; botulism; drug toxicity

FEATHERS

Symptom Possible Cause
Moist under wing... Infectious coryza
Loss of... Molting
Deposits at base of shafts... Lice or mite eggs
Soiled hackle feathers... Infectious coryza, eye infection
Feathers picked... Lice; nutritional deficiency-methionine; birds not debeaked
Depigmented... Nutritional deficiencies-lysine, iron or folic acid
Broken on upper thigh... Self picking
Feather eating... Nutritional deficiency-methionine

SKIN

Symptom Possible Cause
Pigmentation excessive ... Poor production; high pigment intake
Nodules, mainly legs... Marek's disease
Nodules over vent... Flukes (rare)
Moist, necrotic, edematous... Necrotic dermatitis, exudative diathesis
Darkened, purplish... Erysipelas; fowl cholera
Crusted areas... Erysipelas; scab; gangrenous dermatitis
Scabby hip... Self picking, inflicted by other birds
Gangrenous, green... Hemmorhage; arthritis; gangrenous dermatitis
Vent irritated... Northern fowl mite; lice (occasionally)
Pale... Anemia; nutritional deficiencies-iron, copper, or vitamin B12

HEAD

Symptom Possible Cause
Swollen, puffy... Ruptured air sac; infectious coryza; injury; Newcastle disease

COMB

Symptom Possible Cause
Mottled, red and white margins... Frozen
Eruptions, nodules... Fowl pox
White, scaly, powdery... Favus

EYES

Symptom Possible Cause
Watery... Infectious coryza
Blindness... Fowl pox; aspergillosis; Arizona paracolon; paratyphoid
Watery, red, inflamed, closed... Laryngotracheitis; ammonia burn; Newcastle disease; nutritional deficiency-vitamin A
Cataracts... Epidemic tremor
Crusts on eye lids... Nutritional deficiency-vitamin A; fowl pox
Pupil irregular, blindness... Marek's disease
Blood in eye... Hemorrhagic anemia
Large, swollen... Mycoplasma infection

FACE

Symptom Possible Cause
Swollen... Infectious coryza; Newcastle disease; nutritional deficiency-vitamin A; E. coli
Darkened, purplish... Erysipelas; fowl cholera; septicemia; injury
Nodules... Fowl pox

NOSTRILS

Symptom Possible Cause
Discharge... Infectious coryza; chronic respiratory disease; infectious bronchitis; influenza

MOUTH

Symptom Possible Cause
Pustules... Nutritional deficiency-vitamin A
Crusts at margins... Nutritional deficiencies-pantothenic acid or biotin
Beak soft, rubbery... Nutritional deficiencies-vitamin D or calcium-phosphorus imbalances
White coat over tongue and in mouth... Wet form of fowl pox
Ulcers... Mycotoxins; chemical injury

WATTLES

Symptom Possible Cause
Swollen, bulbous... Infectious coryza; fowl cholera
Nodules... Fowl pox

NECK

Symptom Possible Cause
Paralysis (limber neck)... Botulism; yellow jasmine poisoning
Twisting... Newcastle disease; fowl cholera; brain infection; improper injection of Marek's vaccine
Retracted over back... Newcastle disease; nutritional deficiency-thiamin
Retracted under breast... Nutritional deficency-vitamin E; Newcastle disease
Scabby necrotic areas... Improper injection of drugs; other injury

LEGS

Symptom Possible Cause
Paralysis... Marek's disease; botulism; heat stoke; epidemic tremor; cage layer fatigue; vitamin E deficiency; algae poisoning; yellow jasmine poisoning; acute lack of water
Rough, scaly... Fowl pox; scaly leg mite
Bowed, weak... Nutritional deficiency-vitamin D; osteodystrophy
Bone bends... Nutritional deficiency-vitamin D
Joint swelling... Infectious synovitis; paratyphoid; pullorum; zinc deficiency; staphylococcosis; tenosynovitis; arthritis
Tendon at hock displaced... Perosis (nutritional deficiency-manganese or choline)
Stilted gait... Tenosynovitis
Shank depigmented... Nutritional deficiency-vitamin A; coccidiosis; any low grade slow disease (for any length of time)
Toes twisted... Genetic

FEET

Symptom Possible Cause
Joints fixed... Tenosynovitis
Swollen foot pad... Infectious synovitis; bumblefoot
Toes curled... Nutritional deficiency-riboflavin; genetic; management deficiency
Foot pad cracked, dermatitis... Nutritional deficiency-biotin or pantothenic acid; management deficiency
Bird walks on toes... Tenosynovitis
Toes twisted... Genetic

DROPPINGS

Symptom Possible Cause
Profuse... Enteritis; excess roughage in diet
Bloody... Cecal coccidiosis; Newcastle disease
Green... Feed intake low; bile not diluted
Sulfur yellow... Blackhead
Light yellow or yellowish-green... Fowl typhoid; fowl cholera
Foamy... Intestinal parasites (protozoa)

EGG PRODUCTION

Symptom Possible Cause
Sudden severe drop... Newcastle disease; infectious bronchitis; laryngotracheitis; influenza-A, mycotoxin, mismanagement (no lights, feed, or water)
Unsatisfactory... Infectious coryza; fowl cholera; chronic respiratory diseases; diet deficiencies; gizzard impaction; fowl pox; hepatitis; lice; mites; ascarids; capillaria; lymphoid leukosis; coccidiosis; enteritis; pullorum; fowl typhoid; aflatoxicosis; adenovirus infection; toxins
Egg wrinkled, depigmented... Necrotic enteritis; infectious bronchitis
Production pause... Epidemic tremor
Poor shell quality... Newcastle disease; infectious bronchitis; adenovirus infection; diet deficiency; T-2 fusariotoxin

DEATH

Symptom Possible Cause
Instant, few or no prior
signs...
Aortic rupture; acute lack of water; fowl cholera; overheated, fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome
High mortality-producing diseases... Fowl cholera; erysipelas; exotic Newcastle disease; acute coccidiosis; aflatoxin; botulism; poison; fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome

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